British tourist in Milan placed in five‑week isolation after hantavirus exposure

A British tourist, about 60 years old, was identified in Milan after an international alert linked to an Andes hantavirus cluster. He had traveled on the same flight (April 25) as a Dutch woman later confirmed positive for the virus and who died in South Africa.

Upon detection, the tourist and his companion were taken to a dedicated unit at Milan's Sacco Hospital. Both tested negative for hantavirus and showed no symptoms, but the tourist was kept under strict isolation until 6 June—about five weeks—because of the potential incubation period. The companion also tested negative and was released. Authorities emphasized that the public risk in Milan remained very low, with no evidence of community transmission. The response involved the Lombardy health network, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior, police, and the tourist’s B&B, which facilitated rapid contact tracing and logistical handling.

The case illustrates a targeted, precautionary approach to a high‑interest contact, demonstrating coordinated health surveillance without broader restrictions on the city’s population.