'Small number' of Welsh residents linked to hantavirus outbreak

A "small number of Welsh residents" have been linked to the hantavirus outbreak, according to Public Health Wales.

The health body said those affected where either on board the ship or had contact with those who were, but were "not showing symptoms" and were "well".

There are currently no known cases of hantavirus in Wales and the risk to the general public is very low, it added.

The body is working with the Welsh Government, the UK Health Security Agency, Welsh health boards and local authorities to "take appropriate action".

A rare strain of hantavirus broke out on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius as it sailed from Argentina to Cape Verde.

Three people died on the voyage and six people were evacuated to the UK.

In a statement, Public Health Wales confirmed it was "supporting a small number of Welsh residents linked with the hantavirus outbreak" who would receive "regular precautionary testing" and a "daily assessment for the duration of their self-isolation".

It said while hantavirus was a "serious infection", it was "not spread through everyday social contact", such as going to public spaces, shops, workplaces, or schools.

"In the rare instances where a person has caught the infection from another person, they have had close and prolonged contact with the individual who has been infected with hantavirus," it added.

Prof Isabel Oliver, Chief Medical Officer for Wales, said the risk to the British public "remains very low" and that"robust measures" are in place for "ongoing assessment and monitoring" of the Welsh residents linked to the hantavirus outbreak.

Oliver said: "My thoughts and condolences are with the passengers and families impacted by this outbreak.

"I would also like to thank all of our public health partners who are supporting the response to this outbreak," she added.

On Wednesday, six people evacuated to the UK were able to return home or to suitable accommodation to complete a 45-day isolation period.

They had already isolated at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, for 72 hours and tested negative for the virus.

The head of the UN health agency previously said there was "no sign" of a larger hantavirus outbreak.

Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried by rodents.

It can be found in some areas of Europe, Africa and Asia.

While most hantaviruses do not pass from person to person, rare instances of human transmission have been documented with the Andes virus strain.

As hantaviruses are carried by rodents, infections in humans tend to occur in places where people and rodents co-exist.

People usually become infected by breathing in air contaminated with virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva.

Transmission between people occurs only through close contact.

Symptoms can include:

• fever
• extreme fatigue
• muscle aches
• stomach pain
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• shortness of breath

In some cases, people develop severe breathing difficulties or low blood pressure and kidney failure, requiring hospital care.

There is currently no widely available vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus infections.

Treatment is supportive and based on symptoms, such as hospital care and respiratory support.