Health officials suspect a deadly outbreak on a cruise ship may have originated from a Dutch couple who contracted the illness during a bird-watching trip in Ushuaia, Argentina. The couple reportedly visited a landfill site in Ushuaia, where they might have been exposed to rodents carrying the infection, despite the region never previously recording a Hantavirus case.
WHO Investigation
The World Health Organisation has linked eight suspected cases of Hantavirus to the ship, with five of these cases officially confirmed. The cruise ship, MV Hondius, was blocked from docking in Tenerife but has since departed for the Canary Islands, where its almost 150 passengers will disembark.
UK Response
Two individuals who returned to the UK from the affected ship have been asked to self-isolate, though neither has reported symptoms. The UK Health Security Agency states the risk to the general public remains very low.
