How worried should we be about hantavirus?

Hantavirus is not spread in the outside world through everyday social contact; the risk to the general public remains very low.

UKHSA officials are coordinating the arrival of British nationals to the UK from MV Hondius; 19 British nationals were listed as passengers and four were British crew members.

The MV Hondius has been anchored for about three days near Cape Verde and is now sailing toward Spain's Canary Islands as remaining passengers and crew plan to fly to their home countries.

UKHSA officials say the risk to the general public remains negligible.

Two Britons who had left the ship at St Helena contacted health officials after hearing about the cases on their return from Johannesburg and are voluntarily self-isolating in the UK; they do not have symptoms.

The Andes strain of hantavirus has been confirmed in two passengers, according to South Africa's health minister.

An update states eight hantavirus cases—three confirmed and five suspected—have been identified among people who were on the Hondius.

A Dutch woman who left the MV Hondius at St Helena on 24 April died; she had been sharing a cabin with her husband who previously died on board on 11 April, but he is not a confirmed hantavirus case.

The MV Hondius docked at St Helena and 30 passengers, including seven Britons, disembarked.