0h 4min, may 6, 2026 y - Hantavirus Cruise Ship

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British passengers on a cruise ship with a confirmed outbreak of hantavirus will likely be asked to self-isolate for 45 days on returning to the country, a UK health official said.

Two Britons are self-isolating at home in the UK after potential exposure, and a 56-year-old British man is in a stable condition in the Netherlands after being evacuated from the ship on Wednesday.

Another British passenger, 69, was medically evacuated to South Africa where he remains in intensive care, and was said by officials to be "doing better".

Prof Robin May, UKHSA chief scientific officer, told the BBC that UK passengers would probably be asked to self-isolate at home, but that "depends on individual circumstances".

The MV Hondius is expected to dock in the Canary Islands at the weekend. Spain says officials are in advanced talks with the UK to send a repatriation flight for British nationals.

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