UK advises two people from hantavirus-hit cruise ship to self‑isolate

British health authorities said on Wednesday they had advised two people to self‑isolate after they had returned to Britain from a luxury cruise ship hit by an outbreak of hantavirus, a rare but potentially deadly disease.

The UK Health Security Agency also said that none of the British citizens onboard the MV Hondius had reported symptoms, but added they were being closely monitored.

The MV Hondius, with nearly 150 people on board, is expected to dock in Spain's Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, within three days, Spain's health minister said earlier in the day.

Three people - a Dutch couple and a German national - have died in the outbreak. Eight people - including a Swiss citizen who has returned home and is being treated in Zurich - are suspected to have contracted the virus, with three of them confirmed by laboratory testing, according to the World Health Organization.

-Chandni Shah/Reuters