British man who was on plane with woman who died from Hantavirus is forcibly quarantined while on holiday in Italy amid fears of widening outbreak

A British tourist who boarded a plane just a few rows away from a woman who later died of hantavirus was detained and quarantined while on holiday in Italy.

The holidaymaker and her companion, who was not even on the flight in question, were captured outside a bar on Tuesday night and taken by authorities to Milan’s Sacco Hospital.

Both were placed in isolation for an undisclosed period of time, putting a definitive end to their travel plans.

The British national had boarded the same Airlink flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg as 69-year-old MV Hondius passenger Miriam Schilperoord, who later died.

She was the wife of 70-year-old Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord, believed to be ‘patient number zero’. The couple fell ill after visiting a landfill in Argentina to watch the birds.

The British government informed Italian authorities about the British tourist who visited various countries, including Amsterdam, before coming to Milan.

Since he has no private accommodation and is staying in a hostel, he will have to endure the entire quarantine in the hospital.

It comes as Italian authorities are waiting to determine whether a 25-year-old man who boarded a KLM flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam with Ms Schilperoord will test positive for the virus.

Guardia Civil officers wearing CBRN protective gear approach the MV Hondius to assist in the disembarkation of remaining passengers at Granadilla Port in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, May 11

A passenger from the last group to be evacuated from the MV Hondius waves from the bus on its way to the airport at Granadilla Port on May 11

Local authorities are analyzing biological samples of the Calabrian man at Rome’s Spallanzani Hospital to determine whether he has the fatal disease.

He is in voluntary isolation at home while awaiting the results.

Health authorities also requested samples from an Argentinian tourist who left an endemic area on April 30 and traveled to Italy on a Buenos Aires-Rome flight and then traveled to Sicily.

There he was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Authorities have announced that ten Britons from the South Atlantic islands linked to the cruise ship outbreak will be brought to the UK if they contract the disease.

The group, who live on the UK’s overseas territories of Saint Helena and Ascension Island, are flying to England to complete their self-isolation.

All those involved are understood to be British and include people who left the cruise ship in Saint Helena, as well as medical staff who were in contact with them.

The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) said the total included four people who were on the cruise ship on Saint Helena and six close contacts on Ascension Island.

None are symptomatic and their final destination in Britain is unknown, but the move has been described as ‘a measure to support communities in the UK’s overseas territories’.

They will have access to NHS infectious disease specialists if they become ill on arrival in England, and the UKHSA said it would ‘determine where they will isolate in due course’.

It comes as 20 British nationals from the MV Hondius prepare to leave the facility, along with a German resident in the UK and a Japanese passenger who is in isolation at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside.

After the ship docked in Tenerife, they were taken there on Sunday night for a three-day isolation and evaluation period. They will remain in home isolation for another 42 days.

MV Hondius is seen sailing in the Atlantic Ocean near the island of Saint Helena on April 24, 2026

Members of the RAF dropped off a medical kit on the Atlantic Island of Tristan Da Cunha on Saturday to provide assistance to a British national who contracted hantavirus on a cruise ship.

The UKHSA said of this group: ‘Public health and clinical experts have assessed each traveller’s individual circumstances and tailored support packages will be provided to enable people to isolate at home where safe and possible.

‘Health protection teams across the UK will continue to monitor and support everyone after they leave the facility and will be in daily contact throughout the isolation period to ensure they can isolate safely.’

The statement also stated that ‘a small number of people who are in isolation elsewhere in the UK or at home’ will also be evaluated in hospital.

It was previously reported that two British people who returned to England early from the ship were quarantined at home. They contacted authorities after hearing about the hantavirus outbreak.

It is understood that none of these people developed symptoms of hantavirus, but they will remain at Arrowe Park while isolation continues.

Professor Robin May, UKHSA’s chief scientific officer, said: ‘We are grateful to our passengers for their cooperation and patience throughout what we appreciate has been a very disturbing time for everyone involved.

‘As this initial assessment period draws to a close, our priority remains to ensure everyone is safe and well supported wherever they complete their isolation. ‘Our teams will continue to support all affected individuals at every step of the process.’

A previous statement from the Ascension Island Government stated that ‘a small number of people currently on St Helena and traveling by ship are considered to be at higher risk’.

The statement said: ‘Although the likelihood of illness remains low, the UKHSA has advised that these people should be pre-emptively resettled in the UK to complete their self-isolation. This is being arranged and they will be fully supported on arrival.’

Arrowe Park Hospital, where repatriated British citizens are quarantined

British citizens arrived at Arrowe Park Hospital by bus on Sunday after being repatriated

A repatriated British national arrived by bus at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral on Sunday

A British man with hantavirus is still being cared for in Johannesburg and is thought to have recovered, while another is in the Netherlands.

Another British citizen has contracted hantavirus and is self-quarantining where he lives on a remote island called Tristan da Cunha.

Separately, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) told a briefing yesterday that some passengers on the cruise ship were ‘facing mental breakdown’.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it would be ‘inhumane’ to leave people on the ship instead of allowing it to dock in Tenerife, where they were repatriated.

He said there was a need for kindness and compassion towards those involved.

He said: ‘Almost 150 people from 23 countries have been on this ship for weeks and it must be a very frightening situation. Some passengers were psychologically disturbed. They have the right to be treated with dignity and compassion.

‘There were some people around the world who wanted passengers to be kept on the ship for the full quarantine period. Our view was that this would be inhumane and unnecessary. I said at our press conference yesterday that it was cruel to even suggest this.

‘We are convinced that it is possible to disembark these passengers in a way that is safe for them and the people of Tenerife and respects the human rights of passengers and crew.’

The leader praised Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez for allowing the ship to dock in the Canary Islands.

The Dutch-flagged passenger ship MV Hondius, which was infected with hantavirus, was refueled by a tanker on Monday at the port of Granadilla de Abona on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands of Spain.

A passenger of the MV Hondius cruise ship who contracted hantavirus was photographed leaving the port of Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife on Monday and leaving by military bus.

A crew wearing protective gear walks towards the MV Hondius at Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife

He added: ‘I thank Prime Minister Sanchez not only for fulfilling Spain’s legal duty under international law, but also for fulfilling his moral duty to show solidarity, compassion and kindness to the passengers on board.’

So far, 11 cases of hantavirus have been reported among people on the ship, including three deaths.

9 of 11 cases are confirmed, with two more probable cases.

Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the briefing: “There is currently no sign that we are seeing the beginning of a larger epidemic.”

‘And given the long incubation period of the virus, it is possible we will see more cases in the coming weeks.’

The ship’s captain, Mr Dobrogowski, thanked passengers and crew in a video message on Monday and said ‘the last few weeks have been extremely challenging for all of us’.

He added: ‘The thing that impressed me the most, the thing that touched me the most was your patience, your discipline, but also the kindness you showed each other.’

Meanwhile, a French woman who tested positive for hantavirus is in intensive care at a Paris hospital and remains in stable condition.

One of the 18 passengers evacuated by flying to the USA tested positive but did not have any symptoms, while another had mild symptoms.

The Spanish health ministry said that a Spaniard quarantined in Madrid also temporarily tested positive for hantavirus.