Notified cases of hantavirus in the UK
Published 27 May 2026
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Overview
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is working with the World Health Organization (WHO), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and other international partners following confirmation of a hantavirus outbreak connected to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
This release provides an up-to-date count of confirmed cases connected to the outbreak for individuals in the United Kingdom, and will be updated only as new cases are identified.
Case number updates will be published at 9:30am and refer to the position at 12:30pm the previous day.
Confirmed cases of hantavirus in the UK
As of 12:30pm on 26 May 2026, there was 1 confirmed case of hantavirus in the United Kingdom associated with this outbreak.
Confirmed cases of hantavirus worldwide
The World Health Organization are publishing detailed updates on their website about the outbreak.
Definitions
Hantavirus
Hantavirus is the name given to a group of viruses carried by rodents and transmitted by their droppings and urine. The type of virus in this outbreak has been confirmed as Andes hantavirus (ANDV) by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa and the Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland. Most hantaviruses do not spread between humans, but person-to-person transmission has happened with the Andes virus strain in rare cases.
Outbreak confirmed case
A person with laboratory confirmation of ANDV through reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or serology testing.
Data quality assurance
Data quality was assured through a manual checking process. Case counts attached to the incident are provisional and subject to change (upwards or downwards) as intelligence about their connection to the incident improves, clinical assessment changes or further microbiological characterisation becomes available.
Further information and advice
Latest news and information
Further information on hantavirus can be found in the UKHSA rolling news story and blogs from UKHSA.
The World Health Organization are publishing detailed updates on their website about the outbreak.