The Foreign Office has issued a concerning update regarding hantavirus for UK tourists who have visited three specific locations. A warning has been issued for St Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, which are British Overseas Territories. These territories, located in the South Atlantic, include the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha.
There are no British Embassies in these territories; instead, the St Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha governments will provide support in case of emergency assistance, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Warning UK tourists about hantavirus, the FCDO stated: "The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is monitoring an outbreak of Hantavirus being reported in travellers on MV Hondius, which recently visited St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Visitors to any of the three islands are advised to seek out the relevant public health advice ahead of travel: St Helena, Tristan da Cunha and Ascension."
The FCDO added: "We are supporting the UK's Overseas Territories in this outbreak and will continue to provide updates as the situation develops." This comes as three people with suspected hantavirus, including a British crew member, have been medically evacuated from the cruise ship linked to the outbreak. The crew member, along with a Dutch colleague and another passenger, were taken from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius for onward travel to the Netherlands, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed.
A Dutch couple and a German national who had been on the ship, the MV Hondius, have died, while a British national is in intensive care. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, posted on X: "Three suspected hantavirus case patients have just been evacuated from the ship and are on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands in coordination with WHO, the ship's operator and national authorities from Cabo Verde, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. WHO continues to work with the ship's operators to closely monitor the health of passengers and crew, working with countries to support appropriate medical follow-up and evacuation where needed. Monitoring and follow-up for passengers onboard and for those who have already disembarked has been initiated in collaboration with the ship's operators and national health authorities. At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low."
