Hantavirus Suspected Third Case Linked to Cruise Outbreak

UK health authorities have confirmed a suspected third hantavirus case in a British national on Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic, as investigations continue into an outbreak linked to a luxury cruise ship.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it is monitoring the case as part of a wider probe into infections associated with the cruise vessel Hondius. Two earlier cases in British passengers have already been confirmed.

Officials did not provide further details on the latest suspected infection.

The outbreak has so far been linked to five confirmed cases, including three deaths involving a Dutch couple and a German national who were onboard the ship.

The Hondius is expected to dock in Tenerife on Sunday. UK authorities said British passengers without symptoms will be flown home and required to undergo 45 days of self-isolation.

Seven British passengers disembarked in St Helena on April 24. According to UKHSA, two are isolating in the UK, four remain in St Helena, and one has been located outside the country.

In the Netherlands, health officials confirmed that a flight attendant who had brief contact with a victim has been hospitalized in Amsterdam with mild symptoms and is being tested for hantavirus.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak should not be compared to Covid-19, stressing that the risk of wider spread remains low.

Experts say the strain identified on the cruise ship appears to be rare, with limited potential for human-to-human transmission, while health authorities continue monitoring and contact tracing across affected countries.