A small number of people in the UK are now under precautionary monitoring after being linked to the deadly Andes strain at the centre of aHantavirus outbreakon the cruise ship MV Hondius, with Welsh public health officials confirming on Friday that residents are self-isolating and being tested under UK quarantine rules.

Hantavirus outbreak was first detected onboard the Dutch-flagged expedition vessel as it sailed from Argentina towards Antarctica and on to remote South Atlantic islands. At least 11 passengers have been reported as infected, including three deaths, according to public health updates.

Nine cases have been laboratory confirmed and two are classed as probable. UK and Welsh health authorities are now tracing contacts and moving some island residents to Britain as a precaution, stressing that the risk to the wider public remains low and that nothing suggests community transmission in the UK at this stage.

Public Health Wales said on Friday that 'a small number of Welsh residents' had been identified as linked to the MV Hondius Hantavirus outbreak. The individuals had either travelled on the ship or had close contact with people who did, but, crucially, none are currently unwell.

In a statement, the agency said, 'We are supporting a small number of Welsh residents linked with the hantavirus outbreak. Individuals will receive regular precautionary testing and a daily assessment for the duration of their self-isolation.'

Dozens of people in the U.S. are being monitored in connection to a cruise ship outbreak of a deadly and rare strain of hantavirus, but there are no cases in the country and the risk to the public remains low, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.Read more:…pic.twitter.com/FxkiVzw7Au

Officials underlined that there are no confirmed Hantavirus cases in Wales. They described the current public risk as low, even though the infection itself is classed as serious.

Public Health Wales said that while Hantavirus can lead to severe illness, it 'is not spread through everyday social contact like going to public places, shops, workplaces or schools.'

The picture is similar across the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that 10 British citizens from South Atlantic islands linked to the MV Hondius outbreak are being flown to Britain to complete quarantine as a safeguard.

The group is believed to be residents of the UK overseas territories of St Helena and Ascension, although that detail has not been independently verified beyond agency briefings and should be treated with a degree of caution.

Source: International Business Times UK