Get you up to speed: Retired Police Officer in Self-Isolation Following Hantavirus Cruise Evacuation | News UK
Two British nationals evacuated from the MV Hondius due to a hantavirus outbreak have been advised by the UK Health Security Agency to self-isolate.
Dr Meera Chand from the UK Health Security Agency confirmed that contact tracing is underway to mitigate the spread of hantavirus from the MV Hondius outbreak.
Two British passengers from MV Hondius are self-isolating in the UK as authorities trace contacts on their recent flight from Johannesburg.
What we know so far
Two British nationals who left the MV Hondius cruise ship amid a hantavirus outbreak have been advised to self-isolate upon their return to the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed it reached out to these individuals, who are currently asymptomatic.
One of the passengers is identified as Martin Anstee, a retired police officer. His wife, Nicola, described the experience as “a very dramatic few days,” adding that he had suffered mild symptoms but is now stabilising. UKHSA reassured the public that the risk remains very low.
The pair disembarked in St Helena before travelling back to the UK via Johannesburg. Officials are now tracing contacts from their flight to monitor for any potential spread. UKHSA is closely coordinating with health professionals to support affected individuals and manage their conditions.
The MV Hondius, carrying approximately 150 passengers, has departed for the Canary Islands while waiting for medical evacuees to be monitored. Investigations are ongoing regarding the possible sources of the infection that reportedly resulted in the death of a Dutch couple during the cruise.
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Retired police officer ‘self-isolating’ after hantavirus cruise evacuation | News UK
Two British nationals who disembarked early from the MV Hondius cruise ship caught in the hantavirus outbreak have been told to self-isolate.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said today it has been in touch with two British passengers who left the cruise ship after its first leg.
They returned to the UK on their own, and are not currently showing any symptoms, the disease watchdog said.
It said the two passengers have been advised to self-isolate.
One man has been identified as Martin Anstee, a retired police officer with his wife Nicola telling the Daily Telegraph, it had been ‘a very dramatic few days’.
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She told the paper: ‘He’s relieved to be off the ship. He had it quite mild then it got a bit more serious and now he’s stable again.
‘The fear with this virus is it can deteriorate very quickly so it’s been a bit up and down for him.
‘I don’t believe he’s in imminent danger now but it was horrible.’
The two passengers left the ship at St Helena before flying back to the UK through Johannesburg, South Africa.
Their contacts on the UK-bound flight are now being traced.
Dr Meera Chand, the deputy director for epidemic and emerging infections at UKHSA said: ‘Our thoughts are with all those affected by the hantavirus outbreak onboard the MV Hondius.
‘It’s important to reassure people that the risk to the general public remains very low.
‘We are standing up arrangements to support, isolate and monitor British nationals from the ship on their return to the UK and we are contact tracing anyone who may have been in contact with the ship or the hantavirus cases to limit the risk of onward transmission.’
UKHSA will continue to work closely with government partners to offer all necessary support.
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a family of rodent-borne viruses, with each strain tied to a specific host species.
It’s spread when people come into contact with infected droppings, saliva, urine or nesting materials, but is extremely rare, and rarely passed from person to person.
If caught, hantavirus can lead to two main illnesses, one of which affects the lungs (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome or HPS) and the other which affects the kidneys (Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome or HFRS).
The incubation period for this illness is generally two to four weeks, according to the government, but can range from as little as two days to as long as eight weeks.
What are the symptoms?
Early symptoms of hantavirus are similar to the flu, and include headaches, dizziness, chills as well as abdominal problems like diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea.
If it progresses into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, patients can experience headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
If you develop Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, initial symptoms will include intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever or chills, nausea, and blurred vision.
If the disease progresses, later symptoms include low blood pressure, acute shock (lack of blood flow), internal bleeding, and acute kidney failure, according to the CDC.
Hantavirus can be fatal, so it’s important to keep an eye on symptoms if you believe yo
The UKHSA said: ‘UKHSA is aware of two people who have returned to the UK independently having been on board the MV Hondius.
‘Neither of these individuals is currently reporting symptoms.
‘They are receiving advice and support from UKHSA and have been advised to self-isolate.
‘UKHSA are supporting a small number of individuals identified as close contacts of those on the boat. They are being offered support and are also self-isolating. None are reporting any symptoms. The risk to the general public remains very low.’
The cruise ship with around 150 people, including 23 British nationals, stuck on board has left to sail towards the Canary Islands after being anchored outside Cape Verde.
Health officials from dozens of countries are racing to trace any contacts from people who were taken ashore in St Helena after suspected exposure to the rat-borne virus.
Three people, including the ship’s doctor, were evacuated from MV Hondius today to the Netherlands for medical care. The UKHSA said it is in close contact with the medical teams.
The British nationals waiting on board MV Hondius could be repatriated when the ship docks at the next destination if they do not develop symptoms, UKHSA said.
A hantavirus infection, which doesn’t spread easily between people, although this is not impossible, can take up to eight weeks to incubate.
A leading theory has emerged for the infection that killed a Dutch couple who were travelling on the Dutch-flagged ship run by Oceanwide Expeditions after it set sail from Argentina.
Investigators suggested the couple may have caught the rat-virus while birdwatching and visiting a landfill site in the city of Ushuaia.
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