Brits among 23 Hantavirus cruise passengers 'wandering around' after exposure

Brits are among 23 Hantavirus cruise passengers 'wandering around' after being exposed to a killer 'rat disease' after the cruise company let some travellers off the ship. It comes after an outbreak of hantavirus on board the MV Hondius ship. At least 23 passengers have already left the boat and headed home, and according to reports one has already fallen ill. Among those that have returned are two Brits. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that two people who had been on board the cruise have returned to Britain and are self-isolating after not showing any symptoms. One passenger said: "There are 23 people wandering around there, and until three days ago, no one had contacted them,” The passenger told Spanish newspaper El Pais: “The Australian went back to Australia , the one from Taiwan to Taiwan, the Americans to all corners of North America. The Englishman to England, the Dutch to their homes… I don’t remember the rest.” Authorities said that one of those passengers, a Swiss man who returned home with his wife, tested positive for hantavirus on Wednesday. He was initially taken to a hospital in Zurich and tested negative for the virus – which can lie dormant for up to eight weeks. A passenger claimed that the WHO didn’t initiate contacting those who have exited the boat until three days ago, despite the first passenger getting sick on April 6. The WHO said on Wednesday that the Oceanwide Expeditions, had emailed departed passengers about the outbreak but didn't specify when this communication was sent. “International contact tracing is ongoing. "Passengers who disembarked from the ship were informed of the hantavirus case by the ships’ operators and asked to report any signs and symptoms,” a WHO spokesperson said. The UKHSA added that it was supporting "a small number of individuals identified as close contacts" of people on the boat. The body said: "They are being offered support and are also self-isolating. None are reporting any symptoms. "The risk to the general public remains very low."