A woman is isolating on the Pitcairn Islands, a remote British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific, after travelling on a hantavirus-hit cruise ship; the individual had contact with a hantavirus-exposed person but is currently showing no signs of illness, according to a local government spokesperson.

Travel History and Hantavirus Outbreak

The UK foreign office confirmed it is aware of an individual from the MV Hondius who has traveled to the Pitcairn Islands; Officials said she is not a suspected case and the risk to the public remains low.

The woman flew from San Francisco on 7 May and transited through Tahiti and then Mangareva in French Polynesia, the French Polynesian government stated. No details have been released regarding when and where she left the cruise to travel to the US.

Confirmed and Suspected Cases

Three people have died following their travel on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius. Two of them were confirmed hantavirus cases, and the third developed symptoms before testing could be conducted, making it believed to be the first infected individual in the outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed nine cases with two others suspected. Officials warned that the situation could change, and more confirmed cases may emerge.

Hantaviruses are usually transmitted by rodents. However, the Andes strain—believed to be what some ship passengers contracted in South America—can spread between humans. Symptoms include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and shortness of breath.

Isolation and Public Health Response

The woman, who has not been publicly named, is currently isolating on Pitcairn, the only inhabited of the four volcanic islands in the British Overseas Territory. The British foreign office is coordinating with local authorities and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to manage the risks to the individual and the islanders.

UKHSA said the recommended isolation period for close contacts of cases, such as those on the ship, is 45 days. It is not yet clear when the UK government or local authorities were made aware of the potential risk.

The Pitcairn government spokesperson told the BBC: “We are working closely with the health authorities and the UK government to manage the situation. The wellbeing of our community remains the top priority.”

French Polynesia announced that the woman transited through without notifying authorities. An emergency meeting was held, and it was decided not to allow her to re-enter French Polynesia while she poses a risk. Authorities noted she is currently asymptomatic and therefore not contagious.

French Polynesia also confirmed that passengers on the same flight as the woman from San Francisco to Tahiti were not considered close contacts. The risk of infection for them is considered very low.

The MV Hondius, carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries, departed from Ushuaia, southern Argentina, on 1 April. A 70-year-old Dutch man was the first passenger to die on board on 11 April. His 69-year-old wife left the ship on 24 April in St Helena and later died in a clinic in Johannesburg. A German woman also died on board the cruise ship on 2 May. Both women were confirmed cases.

The MV Hondius is now en route to the Netherlands and is expected to arrive in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on 17 May. British army medics were parachuted onto another remote British Overseas Territory, Tristan da Cunha, to assist a British resident who disembarked there on 14 April with suspected hantavirus.