The British government announced on Friday that a third passenger from the troubled MV Hondius cruise ship is suspected of having a hantavirus infection.
The individual is currently situated on the isolated British island of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic, having disembarked from the vessel in mid-April.
Two other British nationals, who have been confirmed to have hantavirus, were evacuated from the cruise and are receiving treatment in hospitals located in the Netherlands and South Africa; one of them is in critical condition.
In total, there are five confirmed cases, including a 69-year-old woman from the Netherlands who unfortunately passed away after leaving the ship in St. Helena before traveling to South Africa. Additionally, two other passengers have died, although the causes of their deaths remain unverified.
Martin Anstee, a 56-year-old former British police officer serving as an expedition guide on the Hondius, was transported from Cape Verde to the Netherlands along with a 41-year-old Dutch crew member and a 65-year-old German national. Anstee is reported to be in stable condition.
The other confirmed British case is a 69-year-old man whose identity has not been disclosed. Since his medical evacuation from the ship to a South African hospital at the end of April, health officials have noted some improvement in his condition, although he remains in the intensive care unit.
The U.K. Health Security Agency reported that two additional British citizens who returned to the UK voluntarily are self-isolating at home. Other passengers arriving in the UK will also be requested to self-isolate for 45 days.
The agency also stated that neither the individuals in self-isolation nor the remaining British passengers still aboard the Hondius have exhibited symptoms but are under close surveillance.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise operator, indicated that four other British citizens, who disembarked in St. Helena on April 24, are still on the island, which is a part of the same British overseas territory as Tristan da Cunha, located 1,750 miles west of Cape Town.
They reportedly show no symptoms, yet the BBC has mentioned that medical personnel are on their way from Britain to assist.
Additionally, another passenger who left the Hondius in St. Helena is currently receiving care in a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, after testing positive for hantavirus.
The initial case of hantavirus was only confirmed on Monday, over three weeks after the first death aboard the ship—the husband of the Dutch woman—occurred on April 11.
During that period, 29 passengers disembarked and flew back to various countries worldwide, including the UK, the US, Canada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, New Zealand, and at least six other nations. This triggered urgent efforts from global health organizations to track these individuals.
South African airline, Airlink, reported that many passengers were on an April 25 flight from St. Helena to Johannesburg, which also included over 50 other passengers and six crew members.
Countries such as the UK, Switzerland, and the Netherlands are actively engaged in contact tracing to identify any additional individuals who may have been exposed to the virus.
The Hondius is presently making its way from Cape Verde to Tenerife. Upon arrival on Sunday, both passengers and crew members will undergo health screenings, and those without hantavirus symptoms will be promptly flown back to their home countries.
