The UK could see a small number of hantavirus cases following an outbreak on a cruise ship, though an infectious diseases expert has swiftly downplayed fears of a widespread pandemic.
Professor Emma Thomson, who leads the MRC Centre for Virus Research at Glasgow University, stated it is "very, very unlikely" the situation will be "akin to the Covid-19 pandemic".
The concern stems from an outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, where at least 11 passengers have reportedly contracted the virus, resulting in three fatalities.
Samples from those on board are currently undergoing examination. Professor Thomson’s centre is one of only two in the UK actively researching hantavirus.
The health agency said it is working to get in touch with “a small number of individuals” who could be affected.
Prof Thomson said it “wouldn’t be very surprising if we found one or two positive tests in the UK, one or two positive people”.
This scenario would be “in keeping with other countries and what they have seen”, she added.
But the expert told BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme: “I would expect that that could be managed very easily with the existing facilities we have.
“It is very, very unlikely that something like this will turn into something akin to the Covid 19 pandemic.”
It comes after it was announced that 10 Britons from South Atlantic islands connected to the cruise ship outbreak are to be brought to the UK in case they develop the illness.
The group, thought to be residents of the UK overseas territories of St Helen and Ascension, are being “brought to the UK to complete their self-isolation as a precautionary measure”, the UK Health Security Agency said.
Prof Thomson said the Andes strain of the rodent-carried hantavirus involved in the outbreak is the only form of the disease transmissible between humans, but she stressed it is “not nearly as transmissible” as viruses such as measles.
We are working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and colleagues across the UK, to respond to the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak and take appropriate action.
— Public Health Scotland (@P_H_S_Official) May 14, 2026
Read our update here: https://t.co/7CPXOwqiAf pic.twitter.com/D4XXK0Uujr
She said: “We don’t expect to see lots of cases of this virus, thankfully, but obviously the public health measures are really critical.
“There have been outbreaks before, in Argentina, this has been a virus that has existed in Argentina for many years.
“Often in the outbreaks in Argentina they are very, very limited, so just small numbers of people affected.
“Obviously the virus if you get it, it is concerning but it is not something we would expect to cause problems on a very large scale.”
With no vaccine or treatment for hantavirus in place at present, the MRC Centre for Virus Research is currently working to see if existing antiviral treatments could be used.
Prof Thomson added: “We will also be using methods to think about new treatments for Andes virus, which is the cause of this outbreak.
“Twenty of the passengers who were on the ship have been kind enough to sign up for research, so we can look into new solutions for this real problem. There are many gaps, as you know there is no vaccine and there is no treatments.”
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