UK network to study information and samples from patients following infection outbreak on cruise ship. IRR experts are contributing to a UK collaboration to study the zoonotic infection Andes hantavirus, following an outbreak of disease on the cruise ship MV Hondius.The team will seek to aid understanding of the virus, which is associated with hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe and potentially fatal illness.Unlike many other hantaviruses, Andes virus has been associated with person‑to‑person transmission, highlighting the importance of rapid investigation.Researchers aim to characterise clinical features and disease progression, and identify risk factors for severe outcomes. They will also seek to understand transmission dynamics, including evidence for human‑to‑human spread, and support the development of clinical management strategies and public health responses.The study is a partnership between the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford, the University of Liverpool, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).Disease protocolThe study uses a globally recognised research framework, known as the Clinical Characterisation Protocol (CCP), designed to enable rapid, standardised data and sample collection during emerging infectious disease outbreaks. It was developed by the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC), a global federation of clinical research networks, and has been applied in similar scenarios. Professor Kenneth Baillie, IRR Group Leader, has led development of the CCP globally since 2011.Individuals who were repatriated to the UK after potential exposure to Andes hantavirus have consented to provide clinical data and samples, such as blood.Research teams will characterise patient samples to track evolution and transmission in the event of positive cases in the UK, define the extent of infection through blood profiling, and investigate cross-reactive immune responses across hantavirus species.The ISARIC team is working closely with colleagues in other countries and with the World Health Organization to coordinate and harmonise global activities.By using standardised tools and protocols, data generated from this study will be rapidly combined with other datasets to accelerate understanding of the disease and inform patient care. The UK’s readiness to study patients with any new disease remains the envy of the world.Once again, we have universities across the country working seamlessly with each other, the NHS and public health agencies to respond to a potentially dangerous outbreak. Professor Kenneth Baillie IRR Group Leader This vital study, embedded in the operational response, will help us better understand this virus and the disease that it causes. It will ensure we learn as much as we can from this unusual outbreak and use these learnings to strengthen global preparedness against future cases. Dr Meera Chand Deputy Director at UKHSA Related linksClinical Characterisation Protocol (CCP)International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC)Roslin Institute Tags CIR Publication date 25 May, 2026
