WHO address fears hantavirus outbreak with 40% death rate is ‘start of pandemic’ as another case confirmed

The World Health Organization (WHO) has addressed fears that the hantavirus outbreak is going to be another Covid as a third Brit has contracted the virus.

The outbreak quite possibly spread during a birdwatching expedition in Ushuaia, Argentina, before passengers boarded the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius from Argentina to Cape Verde.

Some 19 British nationals were listed as passengers on the cruise, as well as four British crew members.

MV Hondius is expected to dock on Sunday, as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said in an update that the two Britons who were medically evacuated are improving.

"Two British nationals have confirmed hantavirus, with an additional suspected case of a British national on Tristan da Cunha. None of the British citizens onboard are currently reporting symptoms but they are being closely monitored," the FCDO said.

A 69-year-old Brit was taken to South Africa on 27 April and is receiving care at a private health facility in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Another Brit, Martin Anstee, 56, was taken off the MV Hondius on Wednesday and flown to the Netherlands to receive specialist medical care.

Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Officer at UKHSA, added: "This is an evolving situation, and we are working closely with partners to support British Nationals on board the MV Hondius.

"The risk to the general population remains very low and the public can be reassured that established infection control measures will be put in place at every step of the journey to ensure the safe repatriation of British passengers on board."

The WHO has said three people have died in connection to the outbreak, as the search for the remaining passengers continues.

Experts believe the outbreak may involve the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare version that can spread between humans and has a death rate of around 40 percent.

WHO epidemic expert Maria Van Kerkhove said: "This is not the next Covid, but it is a serious infectious disease. Most people will never be exposed to this."

"This is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently," she added.

WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus also said his organisation 'assesses the public health risk as low'.

The symptoms of hantavirus

Hantavirus can cause two life-threatening syndromes, according to the WHO: hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

The early symptoms of HCPS, which attacks the lungs, start one to eight weeks after infection, and include:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Muscles aches
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Chills
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea

Later symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Tightness in the chest

Early symptoms of HFRS, which affects the kidneys, start one to two weeks after infection, and include:

• Intense headaches
• Back pain
• Abdominal pain
• Fever/chills
• Nausea
• Blurred vision

Later symptoms include:

• Low blood pressure
• Internal bleeding
• Acute kidney failure