Britons on virus-hit cruise ship will be tested before charter flight back to UK

The origin of the outbreak remained unknown; WHO said the first two cases travelled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip; UKHSA cautioned about close and prolonged contact.

A military plane arrived at Ascension Island with medical supplies; personnel were set to deliver testing kits and other equipment to St Helena and Tristan da Cunha.

Oceanwide Expeditions said seven Britons disembarked at St Helena on 24 April as part of a group of 30 from a dozen nations; first hantavirus case was reported on 4 May; all guests who disembarked had been contacted. Contact tracing was underway in several other countries, including Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Medical staff would be available to assist with blood tests.

Those returning to the UK without symptoms would be asked to isolate and self-test for 45 days; no legislation would compel self-isolation.

Symptomatic passengers would be taken to local hospitals; asymptomatic passengers would be flown to the UK on a charter plane the same day.

Ahead of the ship's arrival, authorities planned to test passengers and crew onboard as the Hondius was set to dock in the Canary Islands; Tenerife was expected to receive the vessel on Sunday, with symptomatic passengers to hospitals and others to fly home by charter.

A third Briton was being treated for a suspected hantavirus case on Tristan da Cunha.

Two British men with confirmed hantavirus were receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa.

British passenger Martin Anstee was evacuated to the Netherlands along with a 41-year-old Dutch crew member and a 65-year-old German.

The first hantavirus case on the voyage was reported.

Another British passenger, aged 69, with hantavirus, was medically evacuated to South Africa at the end of April.

The Dutch woman who left the Hondius died in South Africa two days after disembarking.

A Dutch woman disembarked at St Helena and travelled to South Africa after stopping there on 24 April.

Seven British passengers disembarked the MV Hondius at St Helena; four Britons remained on the island.

A passenger's husband died aboard the MV Hondius.