British nationals returning from a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak will be asked to self-isolate for 45 days, a health official has said. Two Britons who left the MV Hondius before the outbreak was detected are already self-isolating at home, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, has seen three deaths and eight suspected cases of hantavirus since 11 April. The UKHSA said the risk to the general public remains very low, but arrangements are being made to support, isolate and monitor returning British nationals.
Nineteen British passengers and four British crew members were on board. A British crew member, Martin Anstee, was medically evacuated to the Netherlands and is in hospital. The Foreign Office is arranging a charter flight for remaining Britons who are not showing symptoms, once the ship docks in Tenerife.
Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, said the two Britons who left the ship early had agreed to self-isolate. He suggested the same process would apply to other British nationals, who would be asked to isolate at home for 45 days. Hantavirus is a rare family of viruses carried by rodents, with Argentina reporting the highest incidence globally.
