Hantavirus Outbreak: Two Brits Self Isolating After Returning To UK From MV Hondius
A major international contact-tracing effort is underway after a deadly hantavirus outbreak struck the MV Hondius cruise ship during its voyage from Argentina to the Canary Islands. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that two British nationals are currently self-isolating at home after leaving the vessel in late April, while a third Briton remains in specialist care.
Three people have died since the outbreak began on April 11th, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting eight cases, three of which are confirmed and five are suspected.
While hantavirus typically jumps from rodents to humans through contact with droppings or saliva, experts are zeroing in on the Andes strain of the virus, which is rare for its ability to pass between people in close contact.
Investigators believe the virus may have been brought on board following a birdwatching trip to a landfill site in Ushuaia, Argentina. Argentine authorities, who have recorded over 100 hantavirus infections since mid-2025, are working to confirm if the outbreak originated there.
The MV Hondius is currently sailing toward Tenerife, where it is expected to dock at Granadilla port within days. Once it arrives, the roughly 140 remaining passengers and crew will undergo medical assessments. British nationals who are symptom-free will be flown home on charter flights, and returning travelers may face up to eight weeks of isolation, which health officials describe as the "most cautious scenario." The UKHSA is tracing anyone who sat near passengers on long-haul flights or shared rooms on the ship.
Despite the fatalities, health officials have been quick to differentiate this from past pandemics. Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist at the WHO, insisted the outbreak is "not the next COVID," as hantavirus does not spread easily through the air between humans.
Prof Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, reassured the public that the risk to the general population is "extremely low." He added that while the contact-tracing work is a "mammoth effort," it is necessary to limit any chance of onward transmission.
