Health3 min(s) read
Published 16:17 07 May 2026 GMT
A doctor has spoken out after a deadly viral outbreak of hantavirus claimed the lives of three people, with the rare disease being linked to a cruise ship.
Martin Anstree, alongside a 41-year-old Dutch crew member and a 65-year-old German passenger, was evacuated from the MV Hondius on Wednesday following concerns over hantavirus infections connected to a birdwatching expedition in Argentina. The outbreak has already been linked to three deaths.
As concern around the virus grows, emergency physician Dr. Meghan Martin has spoken out to reassure the public about the risks.
Posting to her 2.6 million TikTok followers under the name Beachgem10, she said: “If you are panicking or worried about the hantavirus on the cruise ship, please do not.” She added jokingly: “Unless you're on the cruise ship, in which case a reasonable amount of concern is definitely warranted.”
Dr. Martin explained that hantavirus does not usually spread easily between people, except in rare cases involving the Andes strain, the same variant reportedly identified aboard the ship.
Describing the symptoms, she said: “Like a lot of illnesses it starts pretty [non]-specific.” Early signs can include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headaches, chills, nausea and stomach issues before potentially progressing into severe breathing problems.
She warned: “After the four to 10 days you can develop more respiratory symptoms, cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, and then it can progress from there.”
According to Dr. Martin, there is currently no vaccine or direct cure for the illness. “Antibiotics won't work because it is a viral infection,” she explained, adding that treatment is generally supportive care only.
She also highlighted the seriousness of severe cases, saying: “The risk of not surviving hantavirus is pretty high. It's between 30 and 40 per cent of the cases don't make it.”
Despite the alarming statistics, Dr. Martin stressed the virus poses very little danger to most people in everyday life.
She advised wearing a respiratory mask when cleaning areas contaminated by rodents, such as barns or sheds, but added: “Otherwise, if you're just living your life, hantavirus is really going to be a very, very, very, very minimal public health risk.”
The MV Hondius is now travelling toward the Canary Islands, where British authorities are reportedly arranging a charter flight to bring home UK passengers who are not showing symptoms.
The UK Health Security Agency said none of the British nationals currently appear ill, though they will be monitored closely and asked to isolate for 45 days after returning home.
Mr. Anstree, a former police officer who worked as an expedition guide on the ship, is now receiving specialist treatment in the Netherlands.
Speaking from hospital, he said: “I'm doing OK. I'm not feeling too bad. There are still lots of tests to be done.” He added: “I have no idea how long I'll be in the hospital for. I'm in isolation at the moment.”
His wife Nicola described the situation as “a very traumatic few days.” She said her husband initially experienced mild symptoms before his condition worsened, explaining: “The fear with this virus is it can deteriorate very quickly so it's been a bit up and down for him.” She added: “I don't believe he's in imminent danger now but it was horrible.”
According to the UK Health Security Agency, hantavirus is a group of viruses spread mainly through rodents, including rats and mice, via their urine and droppings.
Symptoms can appear anywhere between one and four weeks after exposure, though in some cases they may take up to eight weeks to develop.
