Britain gets experimental drug from Japan to bolster hantavirus response

Key Points:

• Britain has received supplies of the experimental antiviral drug favipiravir from Japan to support treatment efforts amid a hantavirus outbreak linked to the Hondius cruise liner, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
• The Hondius ship docked in Rotterdam, where authorities disembarked crew and medical staff; the outbreak has resulted in three deaths, eight confirmed cases, and two probable cases.
• Hantavirus, primarily spread by rodents, has no specific therapy, and favipiravir's use remains experimental, with limited evidence from lab and animal studies but no strong human trial data supporting its effectiveness against hantavirus.
• The outbreak involves the Andes virus strain, notable for its rare human-to-human transmission through prolonged close contact, but the World Health Organization states there is no increased transmissibility or severity and no pandemic threat.
• Favipiravir, marketed as Avigan in Japan for seasonal flu, is not licensed in the UK and is considered a compassionate or experimental treatment for severe hantavirus cases rather than standard care.