09.05.2026 12:04
Concerns over the hantavirus outbreak are growing worldwide, as it has emerged that the virus reached Tristan da Cunha, known as one of the most isolated settlements on Earth.
A suspected case of hantavirus in a British citizen on the island of Tristan da Cunha, located in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean with a population of about 250 people, has caused panic.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), commenting on the island known as the "most remote inhabited place on Earth" with no airport, announced that a third British citizen is suspected to have hantavirus, following two previously confirmed cases in the UK.
Officials stated that the suspected individual came ashore from the cruise ship named MV Hondius, where the outbreak originated.
SCHOOL VISIT RAISES CONCERN
The MV Hondius, at the center of the outbreak, docked at Tristan da Cunha Island on April 15. It was learned that one passenger and two crew members from the ship visited a school on the island.
Photos shared on a local website showed ship employees and a passenger posing with teachers, as well as making presentations to children.
It was reported that local authorities are monitoring contacts.
ONLY ACCESSIBLE BY SHIP
Tristan da Cunha Island, a British overseas territory, can only be reached by ship. About 10 ship voyages are organized annually from Cape Town, South Africa.
It is considered that a possible outbreak on the island, which has limited healthcare facilities, could have serious consequences.
THREE PEOPLE HAVE DIED
It has been announced that three people have died so far in the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius ship.
While officials state that the virus is not as contagious as Covid-19, it was expressed that global concerns are increasing because the Andes type of hantavirus can be transmitted from person to person.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the incubation period of the Andes hantavirus can be up to six weeks, suggesting that new cases may be seen.
WHAT IS HANTAVIRUS?
Hantavirus is known as a serious respiratory disease usually transmitted to humans from infected rodents. The virus can cause respiratory failure, heart problems, and hemorrhagic fever.
Currently, there is no approved vaccine or definitive treatment for the disease.