The UK Foreign Office has issued a warning to British tourists about hantavirus, now deemed a health concern in Argentina. The warning follows an outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, where three people have died and five of eight suspected cases have been confirmed.
A third British national is being treated for a suspected case of hantavirus on the remote island of Tristan da Cunha, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Two other Brits have confirmed cases, though none are currently symptomatic. All British passengers and crew will be asked to isolate for 45 days upon returning to the UK.
The ship, which departed from Argentina, is currently heading to Tenerife, where Spanish health officials will perform careful evacuations in a cordoned-off area. The British government has said it will send a plane to evacuate the nearly two dozen Brits still on board.
Scientists are calling for the outbreak to be studied to improve preparedness. Professor Sir Peter Horby of the University of Oxford said repatriation and isolation are the right steps. Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Bath are developing a heat-stable hantavirus vaccine that could be delivered by drone.
The World Health Organisation said morale has improved on board, with two doctors and infectious disease experts conducting medical assessments. The incubation period for the Andes virus variant can extend to six weeks, so more cases may emerge.
