There’s a lot of noise about infectious disease these days, and it can be hard to know what actually deserves your attention. Two outbreaks are circulating in the news right now that are worth understanding — not to panic about, but to be informed on. One is happening right here in England. The other started on a cruise ship in the South Atlantic and has spread to passengers across more than twenty countries.
Let’s take them one at a time.
Measles: Back in England, Worse Than It’s Been in Over a Decade
What’s happening
Measles is surging in England. In 2024, there were 2,911 confirmed cases — the highest annual figure since 2012. Cases continued into 2025, with nearly 1,000 confirmed that year, including the death of a child. Since January 2026, a further 300+ cases have been confirmed, with London and the West Midlands the worst-affected areas.
In January 2026, the World Health Organization officially stripped the UK of its measles elimination status — a designation the country had held and then lost. That’s not a technicality. It means measles is once again circulating freely here.
In North London, an outbreak centred on Enfield infected more than 60 children, linked to seven schools and a nursery. Every child who required hospital treatment had not been fully immunised against the disease.
Why is this happening?
Measles is extraordinarily contagious. To stop it circulating in a population, a very high proportion of people need to have immunity — and right now in England, that threshold isn’t being met. When immunity levels drop, measles finds the gaps and moves fast. One infected person can pass it on to up to 18 others.
Lower immunity levels in certain communities, disruptions during the pandemic years, and patchy public health outreach have all played a role. London has been particularly affected, with some areas showing very low childhood immunisation rates.
What measles actually does
Measles isn’t just a rash and a high temperature. In serious cases it causes pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling), and can be fatal. It’s particularly dangerous for babies too young to have built immunity, for immunosuppressed individuals, and for pregnant women.
Symptoms usually appear 10–14 days after exposure: fever, cough, runny nose, and sore red eyes. The distinctive blotchy rash follows a few days later, typically starting on the face and spreading down the body.
What you should do
If you’re concerned about your own or your children’s immunity, contact your GP. They can advise on your protection status and what options are available to you on the NHS.
If you’re in London or the West Midlands, this is worth acting on sooner rather than later.
Hantavirus: A Serious Outbreak That Started at Sea
What’s happening
On 2 May 2026, the World Health Organization was notified of a cluster of severe respiratory illnesses on board the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged expedition cruise ship that had departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April. The ship was carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries.
As of late May 2026, 13 cases have been confirmed or classified as probable, including three deaths. Cases have been identified among passengers from the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, and several other countries. The UK was actually the first country to notify the WHO, as British nationals were among those affected.
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses typically carried by rodents. In most cases, humans catch them through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or nesting material — not from other people.
The Andes virus is the exception. It is the only known hantavirus that can spread person to person, through close, prolonged contact with an infected individual. That’s what makes this outbreak unusual, and why it attracted immediate international attention.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) — the illness it causes — starts like a flu: fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms. It can then progress rapidly to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, and organ failure. There is no specific antiviral treatment; care is supportive.
What was the likely source?
The ship visited remote locations including Antarctica, South Georgia Island, Tristan da Cunha, and Saint Helena. Investigators are examining whether passengers were exposed to rodents in those environments — particularly on South Georgia, which has a known history of rodent infestation. The Andes virus is endemic to South America, and the timing of the first cases points to early exposure during the expedition.
What is the risk to the UK public?
Low. This is not a UK outbreak. It is a contained incident affecting people who were on a specific vessel in a remote part of the South Atlantic.
That said, because passengers came from 23 countries — including the UK — public health authorities have been actively monitoring repatriated passengers. The CDC deployed a response team, and the EU Health Security Committee issued guidance on monitoring, quarantine, and treatment protocols for repatriated nationals.
No community transmission in the UK has been reported.
What should you take from this?
If you are planning an expedition to remote wilderness areas — South America, sub-Antarctic islands, or anywhere with known rodent populations — hantavirus is worth knowing about. Avoid contact with wild rodents and their nesting material. Don’t disturb burrows or enclosed spaces where rodents may have been.
For the average person in the UK going about their daily life, this particular outbreak is not a direct threat. But it is a useful reminder that remote travel carries risks that don’t appear on the standard travel health advice sheet.
The Bigger Picture
Two outbreaks, two very different levels of relevance to people living in England right now.
Measles is the one that demands attention. It’s here, it’s spreading, and cases are rising. The hantavirus outbreak is serious and worth understanding, but it doesn’t require you to do anything differently unless you’re heading to a remote wilderness destination.
In both cases, staying informed is the first step. Knowing what a disease is, how it spreads, and what the actual level of risk is — rather than relying on headlines — is exactly what this site is here to help with.
If you have any concerns about your own health or that of your family, your GP is the right first port of call.
For more on staying prepared for health emergencies and other disruptions, explore the rest of the site. Get The Book – Preparing for Lockdown