A third British national is suspected to have contracted hantavirus on Tristan da Cunha, the world's most remote inhabited island, which has a population of just 250 people. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed two previous British cases and said there is now an additional suspected case. The outbreak is linked to the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which visited the island on April 13.
Seven Britons disembarked the ship on April 24 in St Helena, but the third suspected case is believed to be among those who remained on board. The cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, reported that the first case was only confirmed on May 4. Three people—an elderly Dutch couple and a German woman—have died from the virus. A British passenger was evacuated to South Africa and remains in critical condition.
Hantavirus spreads from rodents to humans through contact with infected droppings, saliva, or urine. The outbreak has been linked to a birdwatching trip in Argentina that two passengers took before boarding. Tristan da Cunha is home to invasive black rats, and locals hold annual 'ratting days' to control them.
The MV Hondius is currently en route to Tenerife, Spain, after being refused docking in Cape Verde. The UKHSA said no British passengers are currently symptomatic but are being monitored. UK government staff will assist disembarking Britons and arrange free passage back to the UK. However, the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has protested the ship's arrival, and port workers in Tenerife have demonstrated against it.
