Two people who returned to the UK from the cruise ship that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak have been told to self-isolate, the UK Health Security Agency said.
The organisation added that “the risk to general public remains very low” after they returned from the MV Hondius.
It is now believed that a Dutch couple who visited a landfill during a bird-watching tour in Argentina may be the source of the outbreak.
Two Argentine officials said the government's leading hypothesis was that the couple could have been exposed to rodents on the trip in Ushuaia.
Eight suspected cases of hantavirus have now been linked to the boat, the World Health Organisation said, with five of the cases confirmed.
On Wednesday, three patients were medically evacuated from the boat to receive treatment in the Netherlands.
Spain’s health minister said that a British doctor who was evacuated from the boat is no longer in a critical condition.
Oceanwide, the cruise ship operator, said the planned destination for the ship was still the Canary Islands, despite its leader, Fernando Clavijo, blocking the vessel from docking in Tenerife.
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Key Points
- Two people told to self-isolate in the UK after returning from cruise
- Risk to UK public remains very low, health authorities emphasise
- 'Traumatic few days' for British crew member evacuated from cruise ship, says wife
- MV Hondius heading to Canary Islands after three people suspected of hantavirus infections evacuated
- Investigators say a couple on cruise ship possibly got hantavirus while bird-watching
- Canary Islands leader rejects docking of infected ship
All cruise ship passengers are 'close contacts', says European health agency
05:00 , Harriette BoucherEveryone on board the cruise ship heading to the Canary Islands should be considered a “close contact”, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said.
A threat assessment brief from the European health agency states: “We consider everyone on the ship to be close contacts, due to the closed setting and shared social areas and activities, aligned with the precautionary principle.”
But it said that the strain of the virus “does not transmit easily so it is unlikely that it would cause many cases or a widespread outbreak in the community, if infection prevention and control measures are applied”.
People with symptoms should be medically evacuated while passengers without symptoms should receive a test when they disembark, the brief added.
It also said a negative test “may not exclude infection”.
“Disembarking passengers should be provided with clear instructions and recommendations until their diagnosis is confirmed or ruled out.”
MV Hondius heading to Canary Islands after three people suspected of hantavirus infections evacuated
04:25 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe cruise ship MV Hondius is now heading to the Canary Islands from Cape Verde after three people suspected of having hantavirus infections were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday.
The three passengers are from Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. Earlier reports said the British person was a doctor, but that now appears to be incorrect.
Two other British passengers had already left the ship earlier and are currently self-isolating at home after possible exposure.
The ship is still heading to the Canary Islands with 145 people on board, all reportedly symptom-free according to the operator, Oceanwide Expeditions.
Spanish authorities say there is “no risk” to local residents, but the Canary Islands’ president says he is concerned and was not properly consulted.
Passenger stuck on ship at centre of hantavirus outbreak says atmosphere 'relatively good'
04:00 , Harriette BoucherWhat is hantavirus? Symptoms you need to know after deadly cruise ship outbreak
03:00 , Harriette BoucherHantaviruses, which have been present for centuries, have a documented history of outbreaks across Asia and Europe.
In the Eastern Hemisphere, these viruses have been associated with severe conditions such as haemorrhagic fever and kidney failure.
A distinct group of hantaviruses emerged in the early 1990s in the southwestern United States, leading to the acute respiratory disease now known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
The disease garnered significant attention in 2025 following the death of Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, from a hantavirus infection in New Mexico.
Hantavirus is mainly spread by contact with rodents or their urine, saliva or droppings, particularly when the material is disturbed and becomes airborne, posing a risk of inhalation.
People are typically exposed to hantavirus around their homes, cabins or sheds, especially when cleaning out enclosed spaces with little ventilation or going into areas where there are mouse droppings.
The WHO says that while rare, hantaviruses may spread between people.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking the virus after a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region – the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet.
It was a doctor with the Indian Health Service who first noticed a pattern of deaths among young patients, said Michelle Harkins, a pulmonologist with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center who for years has been studying the disease and helping patients.
Most US cases are in Western states. New Mexico and Arizona are hotspots, Dr Harkins said, likely because the odds are greater for mouse-human encounters in rural areas.
Read more here:
What is hantavirus? Symptoms you need to know after deadly cruise ship outbreak
Pictured: The MV Hondius cruise ship, where 150 passengers are isolated in their cabins
02:00 , Harriette Boucher
Airline says Dutch national who died from hantavirus was briefly on board aircraft
01:00 , Harriette BoucheDutch airline KLM has confirmed that a Dutch passenger who died from hantavirus was briefly on board one of its aircraft in Johannesburg.
The airline’s crew decided to not allow the passenger to travel on the flight due to their medical condition.
The flight concerned was KL592, which departed Johannesburg for Amsterdam on 25 April.
In a statement, the airline said: “Yesterday evening, the Dutch public health authority RIVM informed KLM that one of the Dutch nationals who died from hantavirus had briefly been on board a KLM aircraft in Johannesburg on April 25, 2026.
“Due to the passenger’s medical condition at the time, the crew decided not to allow the passenger to travel on the flight. The passenger sadly later passed away in Johannesburg. KLM extends its condolences to the next of kin and wishes them much strength during this difficult time.”
US travel blogger comes to defence of hantavirus-struck cruise ship and says vessel is clean with strong biosecurity
Thursday 7 May 2026 00:00 , Harriette BoucherAn American travel blogger stuck aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship defended the vessel’s cleanliness, stating that the ship is “maintained to a very high standard”.
Travel blogger Jake Rosmarin has been documenting his time aboard the illness-stricken ship, telling The Independent in a statement that aside from the two confirmed cases, the other passengers on board are “doing well” and remain “in good spirits”.
Mr Rosmarin noted that the MV Hondius is an expedition vessel, not an average cruise ship, and is held to a higher standard of cleanliness due to the types of trips it takes
“These ships operate with strict protocols and a strong emphasis on cleanliness, especially given the remote and environmentally sensitive regions they visit, which require high levels of biosecurity,” he said.
“The vessel is maintained to a very high standard, and suggestions that it is unclear are not accurate,” he added.
US travel blogger comes to the defence of hantavirus-struck cruise ship
Why the Andes virus is a concerning member of the hantavirus family
Wednesday 6 May 2026 23:40 , Harriette BoucherThe word hantavirus refers to a broad family of viruses, with different versions in different countries.
Almost none of them have been found to spread from person to person — with the possible exception of the Andes virus, which has been confirmed in the current outbreak.
Still, transmission between people does not happen easily, and would require "close and prolonged'' contact, according to the World Health Organisation.
“We haven’t had huge person-to-person spreads of hantavirus infection ever before, and there’s no reason to suspect a huge outbreak from this case at this point,” said Steven Bradfute, an associate professor and associate director of the Center for Global Health at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, which specialises in hantavirus research.
South African tests first confirmed the Andes virus when health authorities said they identified the strain of hantavirus in two passengers who were on the ship.
WHO said the Andes virus is found in South America, primarily in Argentina and Chile.
Up to eight weeks of isolation needed for hantavirus exposure
Wednesday 6 May 2026 23:30 , Harriette BoucherThe UKHSA has said up to eight weeks of isolation could be needed after exposure to the hantavirus.
A spokesperson said this was the “most cautious scenario” and the public health body would be monitoring exposed passengers “very closely” over the coming days and weeks.
“Most cases of hantavirus, we think, are transmitted within the first few weeks, but up to eight is the figure we are working with,” the spokesperson said in a video shared by Sky News.
“We are working on the most cautious scenario, which is the potential eight week isolation. Over the coming days and weeks, we will be monitoring these people very closely and we may be able to adjust that as time goes on.
“We are going to see how the data derives in the coming days. As you would expect, we are going to treat everything with the utmost caution.”
Passenger who was on MV Hondius was 'shocked' to hear of virus outbreak
Wednesday 6 May 2026 23:10 , Harriette BoucherA passenger on board the MV Hondius has said it was “shocking” to learn of the outbreak on the vessel.
Ruhi Cenet was on the ship for 24 of the 36 days of the cruise and left after the first person had died.
He told Sky News: “We were on board with these people for 24 days straight. We had relationships.
“I knew these people, I'm very sad that they're going through this human crisis, I just wish them to get well.”
He said they were told on 12 April that a passenger had passed away due to “natural causes”, which he said was a “relaxing explanation”, but turned out to not be true.
With the World Health Organisation’s involvement, he said he was noe “hopeful” for the passengers on board.
Two of three evacuated patients in hospital, while third experiencing delays
Wednesday 6 May 2026 23:03 , Harriette BoucherTwo medicalised aircraft, carrying two of the three individuals transferred from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship earlier today has landed in the Netherlands and the passengers have been taken to the hospital.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise ship operator, said a second aircraft carrying the third individual was experiencing a delay, but the individual on board remained in a stable condition.
The company confirmed that the vessel had departed Cape Verde and is headed for the Canary Islands.
“This is expected to take 3-4 days,” a statement said.
“Three additional medical professionals have embarked m/v Hondius to provide optimal medical care during the crossing.”
'I have no idea how long I'll be in hospital', says Briton evacuated from cruise ship
Wednesday 6 May 2026 22:49 , Harriette BoucherBritish crew member Martin Anstee, who was among those evacuated from the cruise ship, said he has no idea how long he will be in hospital.
Mr Anstee told Sky News: “I'm doing okay. I'm not feeling too bad. There are still lots of tests to be done. I have no idea how long I’ll be in the hospital for. I'm in isolation at the moment.”
The 56 year old expedition guide on MV Hondius said that his doctors should have a clearer picture on Friday.
Regarding symptoms, he told Sky that he “can't say any more than at the moment”.
Argentina to test rodents at origin point of hantavirus-hit cruise ship
Wednesday 6 May 2026 22:30 , Harriette BoucherArgentina's health ministry will carry out rodent trapping and analysis in the southern city of Ushuaia, the origin point of a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, it said in a statement on Wednesday.
Officials are always reconstructing the itinerary of Dutch citizens who traveled in Argentina and Chile and later presented symptoms of hantavirus on the cruise, the statement said.
'Traumatic few days' for British crew member evacuated from cruise ship, wife says
Wednesday 6 May 2026 22:00 , Harriette BoucherBritish crew member Martin Anstee was among those evacuated from the ship, The Telegraph has reported.
The 56 year old expedition guide and former police officer was flown to receive specialist medical care in the Netherlands after being airlifted off the vessel.
His wife Nicola told The Telegraph it had been “a very traumatic few days.
“He’s relieved to be off the ship. He had it quite mild then it got a bit more serious and now he’s stable again.
“The fear with this virus is it can deteriorate very quickly so it’s been a bit up and down for him.
“I don’t believe he’s in imminent danger now but it was horrible.”
Evacuation flight with Hantavirus patients descends during landing at Ingenio, Gran Canaria
Wednesday 6 May 2026 21:50 , Harriette Boucher
Cruise ship passengers to reach Tenerife within days
Wednesday 6 May 2026 21:34 , Harriette BoucherPassengers on the virus-stricken ship will arrive in the Canary Islands within 72 to 96 hours, Spain’s health ministry has said.
In an update on Wednesday, the ministry said active or symptomatic cases will not travel to the islands.
The vessel is due to dock in the port of Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife.
Cruise ship passenger makes emotional plea from hantavirus-struck vessel
Wednesday 6 May 2026 21:20 , Harriette BoucherAll cruise ship passengers are 'close contacts', says European health agency
Wednesday 6 May 2026 21:18 , Harriette BoucherEveryone on board the cruise ship heading to the Canary Islands should be considered a “close contact”, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said.
A threat assessment brief from the European health agency states: “We consider everyone on the ship to be close contacts, due to the closed setting and shared social areas and activities, aligned with the precautionary principle.”
But it said that the strain of the virus “does not transmit easily so it is unlikely that it would cause many cases or a widespread outbreak in the community, if infection prevention and control measures are applied”.
People with symptoms should be medically evacuated while passengers without symptoms should receive a test when they disembark, the brief added.
It also said a negative test “may not exclude infection”.
“Disembarking passengers should be provided with clear instructions and recommendations until their diagnosis is confirmed or ruled out.”
Passengers on hantavirus-stricken ship sway between fear, boredom
Wednesday 6 May 2026 21:06 , Harriette BoucherIt was billed as an Atlantic odyssey to some of the most remote islands in the world. Instead, the cruise on the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius was left stranded off Cape Verde with passengers in their cabins, medics in protective suits tending to the sick and the ship's operator seeking a safe port.
Passengers, some of whom have been aboard since 20 March, have reported moods swinging between fear and boredom: empty lounges, quiet decks, hot drinks, face masks, medical checks, and the uncertainty of not knowing when and how their journey will end.
On Wednesday, specialist teams evacuated three people as the vessel prepared to extend its voyage to Spain's Canary Islands with the consent of local authorities.
After four days stationed off the West African archipelago, the ship set sail late Wednesday toward the Canary island of Tenerife, where around 150 remaining passengers and crew may finally disembark under medical supervision. It is not clear whether they will be quarantined on arrival.
Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions has told passengers to follow "isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring."
Martin Kriz, a Swedish doctor who has served aboard the Hondius, said that means taking meals in cramped 4-person cabins.
"It's quite a small space," he told Reuters.
But passengers say conditions were not bad. Passenger Kasem Hato said the mood was calm.
"People are taking the situation seriously but without any panic, trying to keep social distancing and wearing masks to be safe," he said.
"Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution, but morale on the ship is high and we’re keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks, and that kind of things.”
Risk to public remains very low, health authorities emphasise
Wednesday 6 May 2026 20:53 , Alex CroftWe can now bring you more on the two people who have returned to the UK from the Hantavirus ship, who have now been asked to self-isolate.
In an update issued on Wednesday evening, the UKHSA said “the risk to general public remains very low”, adding that neither of the two individuals who have been asked to self-isolate had reported symptoms.
The organisation said: “They are receiving advice and support from UKHSA and have been advised to self-isolate.
“UKHSA are supporting a small number of individuals identified as close contacts of those on the boat. They are being offered support and are also self-isolating. None are reporting any symptoms. The risk to the general public remains very low.”
The statement continued: “UKHSA is working closely with the FCDO, the Home Office, and Border Force to trace further individuals who may have been on the same flight as a confirmed case, in order to carry out public health risk assessments and ensure appropriate precautionary measures are in place.”
Dr Meera Chand, deputy director for epidemic and emerging infections at UKHSA, said:
“It’s important to reassure people that the risk to the general public remains very low.
“We are standing up arrangements to support, isolate and monitor British nationals from the ship on their return to the UK and we are contact tracing anyone who may have been in contact with the ship or the hantavirus cases to limit the risk of onward transmission.
“UKHSA will continue to work closely with government partners to offer all necessary support.”
Two people told to self-isolate in the UK after returning from cruise
Wednesday 6 May 2026 20:44 , Alex CroftTwo people who returned independently to the UK from the cruise ship that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak have been told to self-isolate, the UK Health Security Agency said.
They added that “the risk to general public remains very low”.
Why are cruise ships prone to disease outbreaks? From hantavirus to COVID
Wednesday 6 May 2026 20:37 , Harriette BoucherCruises are sold as floating holidays, but they are also useful for understanding public health. Cruise ships are carefully designed places where many people live, eat, relax and move through the same shared spaces for days at a time. They show how easily illness can spread when people are packed into a single interconnected environment.
Think of a cruise ship as a temporary city at sea. It has restaurants, theatres, lifts, cabins, kitchens, water systems and indoor gathering spaces. That is great for convenience, but it also means that once an infection gets on board, it can move through the ship in ways that are hard to stop.
The Diamond Princess outbreak is perhaps the best-known example. During the 2020 COVID outbreak, 619 passengers and crew tested positive for the disease. Researchers found that the ship conditions made the novel coronavirus spread more easily. Their modelling suggested that public health measures, such as isolation and quarantine, prevented many more cases, but it also showed that an earlier response would have further limited the outbreak.
Norovirus (the so-called vomiting bug) is the infection most closely linked to cruise ships. In a review of previously published studies, researchers found 127 reports of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships, with many linked to contaminated food, contaminated surfaces and person-to-person spread. A more recent report from the US also showed that norovirus can spread very rapidly from person to person on a cruise ship.
This helps explain why ships such as Celebrity Mercury, Explorer of the Seas and Carnival Triumph have become familiar names in outbreak reports. These were not unusual in some special way; they were simply settings where shared dining, close contact and frequent movement through common areas allowed infection to spread fast.
Why are cruise ships prone to disease outbreaks? From hantavirus to COVID
British doctor airlifted from hantavirus-hit cruise ship as cases rise onboard
Wednesday 6 May 2026 20:16 , Harriette Boucher
British doctor airlifted from hantavirus-hit cruise ship as cases rise onboard
British government 'working urgently' to support British passengers on hantavirus-hit cruise ship
Wednesday 6 May 2026 20:01 , Harriette BoucherWes Streeting has said the government was taking the hantavirus outbreak “incredibly seriously” as it worked to support British passengers on the ship.
In a post on X, the health secretary said: “The outbreak of Hantavirus on the MV Hondius will be worrying many.
“The Government are taking this incredibly seriously and are working urgently to support the British nationals involved.
“We are working across DHSC, UKHSA and the FCDO to ensure all those affected get home safely.”
In pictures: Medics escort evacuated patient with suspected hantavirus to ambulance at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam
Wednesday 6 May 2026 19:52 , Harriette Boucher
Passenger stuck on ship at centre of hantavirus outbreak says atmosphere 'relatively good'
Wednesday 6 May 2026 19:25 , Harriette BoucherAirline says Dutch national who died from hantavirus was briefly on board aircraft
Wednesday 6 May 2026 19:01 , Harriette BoucherDutch airline KLM has confirmed that a Dutch passenger who died from hantavirus was briefly on board one of its aircraft in Johannesburg.
The airline’s crew decided to not allow the passenger to travel on the flight due to their medical condition.
The flight concerned was KL592, which departed Johannesburg for Amsterdam on 25 April.
In a statement, the airline said: “Yesterday evening, the Dutch public health authority RIVM informed KLM that one of the Dutch nationals who died from hantavirus had briefly been on board a KLM aircraft in Johannesburg on April 25, 2026.
“Due to the passenger’s medical condition at the time, the crew decided not to allow the passenger to travel on the flight. The passenger sadly later passed away in Johannesburg. KLM extends its condolences to the next of kin and wishes them much strength during this difficult time.”
Hantavirus is on the rise in Argentina, where a stricken cruise ship began its journey
Wednesday 6 May 2026 18:36 , Harriette Boucher
Hantavirus is on the rise in Argentina, where a stricken cruise ship began its journey
Canary Islands president opposes hantavirus-hit cruise docking in Tenerife
Wednesday 6 May 2026 18:05 , Harriette Boucher‘Why us?’ Tenerife locals fear Hantavirus cruise ship arrival will repeat Covid pandemic ordeal
Wednesday 6 May 2026 17:45 , Harriette BoucherThe Spanish government sparked a furious backlash after saying that the virus-stricken MV Hondius would dock in Tenerife by the end of the week. Islanders tell Graham Keeley that the arrival of the ship evokes memories of the crisis in 2020:
‘Why us?’ Tenerife locals fear Hantavirus cruiseship arrival will repeat Covid ordeal
Confirmed hantavirus cases rises to five
Wednesday 6 May 2026 17:22 , Harriette BoucherThe World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the number of confirmed hantavirus cases has risen to five, including two passengers who were evacuated on Wednesday.
Another three cases are suspected to be hantavirus, with a total of eight cases linked to the boat.
WHO said earlier on Wednesday that three cases had been confirmed as hantavirus by laboratory testing.
Netherlands hospital prepared for Hantavirus patient
Wednesday 6 May 2026 17:13 , Harriette BoucherThe Netherland’s Leiden University Medical Hospital, which is expecting to receive a patient aboard the MV Hondius, said the department where they will be seen is well prepared.
In a statement posted on its website, the hospital said: ”In addition to isolation rooms for patients, all protective equipment for our staff is available. Treatment takes place in strict isolation, following the applicable protocols.
“The LUMC has specialised isolation facilities. To be and remain well prepared, regular drills are conducted for the arrival of patients with (potentially) serious illnesses.”
The hospital said other patients or visitors were not at risk of infection and did not need to take any special measures.
In pictures: Patients evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship at a port in Praia
Wednesday 6 May 2026 16:37 , Harriette Boucher
What is hantavirus? Symptoms you need to know after deadly cruise ship outbreak
Wednesday 6 May 2026 16:11 , Harriette Boucher What is hantavirus? Symptoms you need to know after deadly cruise ship outbreak
Foreign Office ‘working urgently’ to bring home British nationals on MV Hondius
Wednesday 6 May 2026 15:50 , Harriette BoucherPolitical Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
The Foreign Office is “working urgently” to “make sure British nationals on the MV Hondius can all get safely home with proper protection for public health”, Yvette Cooper said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the foreign secretary said: “The outbreak of Hantavirus is very serious and deeply stressful for those affected and their families. The UK response is being led by the UK Health Security Agency working with the WHO.
“The Foreign Office is working urgently to support the UKHSA’s work overseas and to make sure British nationals on the MV Hondius can all get safely home with proper protection for public health.
“Foreign Office consular staff are in direct contact with British nationals onboard the ship and stand ready to provide further assistance to any British national in need of support overseas 24/7 - our crisis response centre has been operating for the last few days to provide support.”
She added: “Ministers are in close touch with our Dutch and Spanish counterparts and we have been working with other countries to facilitate the medical evacuations, to support our Overseas Territories and to get British nationals home safely as quickly as possible.”
Breaking: Investigators say a couple on cruise ship possibly got hantavirus while bird-watching in Argentina
Wednesday 6 May 2026 15:40 , Harriette BoucherTwo Argentine officials investigating the origins of the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship that sailed from southern Argentina say the government's leading hypothesis is that a Dutch couple contracted the virus during a bird-watching outing in the city of Ushuaia before boarding.
They said the couple visited a landfill during the bird-watching tour where they may have been exposed to rodents carrying the infection.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media, with the investigation ongoing. Previously authorities said that Ushuaia and the surrounding province of Tierra del Fuego had never recorded a case of the hantavirus.
Plans for hantavirus cruise ship to still dock in Canary Islands despite leader's opposition
Wednesday 6 May 2026 15:24 , Harriette BoucherThe M/V Hondius is still expected to sail to the Canary Islands, despite its leader blocking the ship from docking in Tenerife.
In an update on Wednesday afternoon, the virus-hit cruise ship’s operator Oceanwide said: “At this stage, the planned onward destination for m/v Hondius is the Canary Islands.
“Oceanwide Expeditions remains in close and continual discussion with relevant authorities regarding the exact point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and a precise timeline.”
It comes just hours after the regional president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, rejected plans for the ship to dock there, expressing concern over how its arrival could put the local population at risk.
“This decision is not based on any technical criteria, nor is there sufficient information to reassure the public or guarantee their safety,” he stated.
He said the Hondius had requested permission for the ship to dock in Tenerife on 9 May.
Two evacuees in serious condition, cruise operator says
Wednesday 6 May 2026 15:01 , Alex CroftWe’ve had a new update from Oceanwide, the cruise operator running the M/V Hondius.
They confirm thar three individuals have been successfully evacuated, two of whom are in a “serious condition”.
The third is asymptomatic but was “closely associated with the individual who passed away on board on 2 May”, the statement reads.
The two symptomatic individuals have not yet tested positive for hantavirus.
No changes to hantavirus on ship that would make it more dangerous, WHO says
Wednesday 6 May 2026 14:41 , Alex CroftThe World Health Organization has said it has not been notified of any changes to the Andes strain of hantavirus found on a cruise ship that would make it more transmissible.
"We haven't been notified of any changes, of any changes in the sequence itself, to indicate that," Maria Van Kerkhove, Director of Epidemic and Pandemic management at the World Health Organisation in Geneva, said.
