The number of confirmed Hantavirus cases has risen to six as the 22 Brits stuck on the ship prepare to be flown back to the UK. British nationals still on board MV Hondius will be flown home tomorrow and put in hotels to self-isolate. Hantavirus has killed three people on board, with confirmed cases now rising to six, and an extra two are suspected. A new contact from the plane where a Dutch woman flew before dying a few days after contracting the disease has also been identified. Those evacuated from the ship will be expected to stay in their hotel rooms for 45 days. None of those on board are showing symptoms of the rat-borne virus.
MV Hondius to Dock in Tenerife on Sunday
The MV Hondius cruise is to arrive in the Canary Islands on Sunday. Officials are working to organise a dedicated repatriation flight for British passengers. Britons will be tested for hantavirus onboard the ship, and will be flown home the same day if they have a negative result and display no symptoms. The vessel is on track to land in Tenerife on Sunday, subject to weather conditions.
Number of Confirmed Hantavirus Cases Rises to Six
The number of confirmed cases of hantavirus has risen from five to six, the World Health Organisation has said. Eight people in total have fallen ill, including three who have died. There are now six confirmed cases with two suspected cases. Four patients remain in hospital.
Dutch Hantavirus Victim’s Body Repatriated
The body of a Dutch woman who died after contracting hantavirus has been repatriated, South African officials have confirmed. Health department spokesperson Foster Mogale told reporters the unnamed woman’s body was returned to the Netherlands on a KLM flight. Posthumous tests have returned a positive result for hantavirus. She was among dozens who left the MV Hondius while it was docked in St Helena. It is unclear whether the body of her 70-year-old husband, who also died in the outbreak, has been repatriated.
Spanish Authorities Preparing to Welcome MV Hondius
Authorities in Tenerife are preparing to welcome the MV Hondius cruise ship. Health officials have drawn up plans to evacuate the some 140 passengers and crew when the stricken vessel arrives in the Canary Islands. At least three passengers have died, and several others are sick. None of the remaining passengers or crew is currently showing symptoms. Both the UK and the US are arranging flights to repatriate their citizens. The WHO says the risk of hantavirus to the wider public remains low. Passengers who disembarked the vessel before the outbreak was detected are being tracked by health authorities.
Those Still on MV Hondius Report No Symptoms
The passengers who remain on the hantavirus-hit cruise ship are not reporting any symptoms, the World Health Organisation has said. Those who have been exposed to the virus have been asked to self-isolate with regular medical checks. The World Health Organisation’s technical officer Anais Legand said: “They will be asked to take their temperature every single day for 42 days, they will be asked to check every day for other symptoms like feeling unwell or a headache. They will be provided with someone to contact if they are not feeling well, it is up to the national authorities where people will go next.”
Canary Islands’ President Says It’s ‘Time to Collaborate’
The President of the Canary Islands has said “it is time to collaborate” after he was forced to allow MV Hondius to dock near Tenerife. Fernando Clavijo has softened his stance after he was overruled by the Spanish courts for trying to deny the hantavirus-hit ship from arriving in the area. He said: “[The Canary Islands] has been critical, and continues to be so, of the Spanish government’s decision regarding the MV Hondius. But now it’s time to act responsibly to ensure that operations go smoothly, that the passengers spend the least possible time in the islands, and that they can continue their journey to their countries. It’s time to collaborate, protect the islands and the people of the islands, and lend a hand.”
Patient with Suspected Hantavirus Hospitalised in Alicante, Spain
A woman has been admitted to hospital in Spain with a suspected case of hantavirus. The patient is understood to have been a passenger on the same flight as a Dutch woman who passed away on April 26, becoming the second person to die after contracting the virus on the cruise ship MV Hondius. The woman is receiving treatment at the Sant Joan General Hospital in Alicante, local outlet EFE Noticias reports. The publication also reported Spanish nationals coming off the ship – or who have had contact with confirmed cases – will face a mandatory quarantine period. During this time they will be housed at the Gómez Ulla Hospital in Madrid, the country’s Public Health Commission said.
Two Vials of Hantavirus Went Missing from Lab Two Years Ago
Two vials of hantavirus went missing from an Australian lab two years before the recent outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius. Out of the 300 vials that went missing in 2024, two contained the hantavirus, which causes the condition that has left three dead in the last two weeks. At the time, it was thought the disappearance happened when the vials were being transferred to a new freezer. But an investigation found they were probably destroyed rather than stolen. The vials are not connected with the most recent outbreak.
Hantavirus Vaccine ‘Could Take Years to Approve’
Scientists are rushing to develop a vaccine for hantavirus but it will likely take years to approve. Researchers at the University of Bath said they are working on a “highly promising jab”. Animals tested with the vaccine have shown “excellent immune responses” and they hope to move on to human trials in the future. Jay Cooper, a virologist from the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, told Nature: “A major barrier for hantavirus vaccines is funding for advanced development. Right now we are pushing from the research side, but there is no strong external pull, so progress is slower than it could be. It’s frustrating – like pushing a rock up a hill for years.”
US Classifies Hantavirus Emergency as ‘Level Three’
People in at least three US states are being monitored for potential hantavirus infection. State health services in Georgia are monitoring two residents, Arizona is monitoring one person who was on the ship and California said they are working with an undisclosed number of potential patients. Donald Trump told reporters yesterday he had been briefed on the virus and he hopes it is under control. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said: “The Department of State is leading a coordinated, whole-of-government response including direct contact with passengers, diplomatic coordination, and engagement with domestic and international health authorities.”
Dutch Flight Attendant Tests Negative for Hantavirus
A Dutch flight attendant who was in contact with a woman who died from hantavirus has tested negative. The worker from KLM airline was taken to hospital in Amsterdam yesterday after showing mild symptoms. She was in contact with a 69-year-old Dutch woman who died after contracting the disease with her husband.
In Numbers: How Many British People Have Been Affected by the Hantavirus Outbreak?
- Three British nationals are confirmed or suspected of having hantavirus.
- One is being treated in South Africa, one is being treated in the Netherlands and the other is being treated in Tristan da Cunha.
- Seven Brits disembarked the ship at St Helena following the first death. Four remain there and have been located.
- Two Brits who disembarked have been located in the UK and are self-isolating.
- One person has not yet been traced.
Medical Staff Sent to St Helena
Four Brits who disembarked MV Hondius at St Helena after a man died on board have been located. They were among 30 passengers who left the ship along with the dead man’s wife, who also died a few days later in Johannesburg. The four Brits are now believed to have symptoms but are in contact with health officials. Medical staff is expected to be sent to the island in the south Atlantic.
Third Brit Suspected of Having Hantavirus
A third British citizen is feared to have hantavirus after an outbreak on MV Hondius. The patient is on the Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha where the ship stopped mid-April. Two other British men are confirmed to have the disease after staying on the boat. Martin Anstee was evacuated to a hospital in the Netherlands where he remains in stable condition. The other man, a British doctor, is in intensive care in South Africa.
French Citizen on Same Flight as Confirmed Case Has ‘Symptoms’ Despite Not Being on Ship
A French national who was on the same plane as a confirmed hantavirus case has developed “mild symptoms” and gone into isolation, the French Health ministry has said. There are eight French people who were not on the MV Hondius cruise but shared a flight with the woman who died after flying from St Helena to Johannesburg on April 25. Tests are underway to find out what is behind the symptoms experienced by the French national now in isolation, officials said.
No One Left on Board Doomed Cruise Ship Has Symptoms
No guests or crew left on MV Hondius are presenting with symptoms of hantavirus, the operator has said. Oceanwide Expeditions has said three people have been evacuated from the liner and are being treated by medical professionals. The ship is heading towards the Canary Islands to dock, aiming to arrive in the early hours of Sunday, May 10.
