A rat was filmed inside the Greggs on Ferguslie Walk in Paisley earlier this week.

A Greggs store was forced to close temporarily this week after a rat was caught on video inside the bakery. A passing member of the public spotted the rodent inside Greggs on Ferguslie Walk in Paisley after it had closed earlier this week.

The woman filmed the rat during its escapades as it rummaged through a bin cage and was spotted combing through the bakery‘s supplies. She captured the pest as it scurried along the shop floor from the street outside the store, filming through the window.

In the video, which was shared to Facebook, a person behind the camera can be heard retching, reports Glasgow Live. Another person is heard to say: “Oh my god, look at that, they must be in that shop.”

Greggs closed the Paisley branch after the “disgusting” video circulated online but it has since reopened.

A spokesperson for Greggs said: “We take all matters of food hygiene extremely seriously and have strict procedures in place across all of our shops.

“Our shop on Ferguslie Walk in Paisley was temporarily closed for a short period earlier this week, but has now reopened.”

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President Donald Trump got the first major political scalps of his second term on Tuesday when five state legislators in Indiana who resisted his push to redraw the state’s congressional map lost their primaries.

It’s the latest example of Trump exacting revenge on Republicans whom he sees as crossing him. He’s already pushed Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) out of Washington and into retirement. Many of the Republicans who voted to impeach or convict him either lost their primaries or preemptively retired to save the embarrassment.

A defining trait of the second Trump administration has been his push for vengeance. The Justice Department indicted former FBI Director James Comey, and when a judge threw out the case, it indicted Comey again. He publicly gloated about the death of Robert Mueller, Comey’s friend and the former special counsel who led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

And May represents the perfect opportunity to make two Republicans who criticized Trump in the past pay.

The first comes in Louisiana. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) always faced an uphill battle after he voted to convict Trump for the president’s actions on January 6. But Cassidy had just been re-elected in 2020, meaning he was on borrowed time.

Now the bill comes due. Trump made Cassidy, a gastroentrologist, bend the knee when he nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist who had spent years promoting lies about public health, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Cassidy relented and voted to confirm Kennedy, spending much of his time since trying to avoid questions about Kennedy.

That did not work. Instead, Trump endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) in the Louisiana primary. In addition, Cassidy faces former Rep. John Fleming in the primary.

To boot, Louisiana also changed its law. Previously, Louisiana had an open “jungle primary,” wherein the top two vote-getters advanced into a runoff regardless of party affiliation.

On May 16, each party has a primary and then the top two vote earners advance to a June 27 runoff if neither candidate wins a majority.

This puts Cassidy at a structural disadvantage. A former Democrat, he can no longer rely on crossover voters who might admire him for standing up to Trump or his work with Joe Biden on the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Even then, he probably lost plenty of goodwill by saddling up to Trump as much as he has.

Cassidy seems to understand Republicans back home don’t like him. Hence why he offered a limp opposition to Kennedy when the secretary testified on the Hill last month.

The second state where Trump seems more than get his pound of flesh comes in Louisiana’s neighbor Texas. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is not as Trump-critical as Cassidy.

But he did vote to certify the 2020 presidential election results, negotiated a bipartisan gun control bill and when Trump ran again in the 2024 cycle, said Trump’s time had “has passed him by.”

Cornyn is running against ultra-MAGA Attorney General Ken Paxton–whom despite being impeached and acquitted by fellow Republicans and his wife divorcing him after multiple alleged affairs–earned enough votes to go into a runoff later this month in March.

A University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs poll showed that Paxton narrowly beats Cornyn 48 percent to 45 percent with only seven percent of respondents saying they are unsure. That’s a stunning number for a four-term incumbent senator, former attorney general and former Texas Supreme Court justice like Cornyn. But it’s a sign of where the party has moved in Texas.

Moreover, Trump has withheld his endorsement of Cornyn, despite the fact Trump knows that Paxton opens the door for James Talarico, the telegenic baby-faced Bible-quoting seminarian Democrats chose as their nominee, winning the seat in the Lone Star State. Trump’s brain might know Cornyn is the right choice. But his heart is with Paxton.

Lastly, there’s Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie has been the biggest thorn in Trump’s side in the lower chamber. He led the charge to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein, voted against the One Big, Beautiful Bill last summer and opposed making Mike Johnson speaker. Trump has endorsed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein in the race.

But so far, it looks like Massie pull it off. Plenty of voters in the district like the fact he is idiosyncratic like his fellow Kentuckian Sen. Rand Paul.

And cutting loose Republicans and cleavng them could have unintended consequences.

Trump excommunicating Tillis to be an own-goal since former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper leads Trump-endorsed former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley. And Tillis helped push out Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary and forced the Department of Justice to–at least temporarily–back off of its probe into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

And Cassidy already has shown quiet signs of rebellion, as Trump blamed Cassidy for sinking the nomination of Trump’s pick for surgeon general Casey Means, an ally of Kennedy.

Trump has shown a stunning level of party discipline. And he’s a transformational figure in the Republican Party. But doing so will have consequences that will reverberate long after he leaves.

Cambridgeshire Police were first called to a crash along the AA139 Fletton Parkway in Peterborough just before midday today (Wednesday, May 6). The crash involved a car and lorry.

A police spokesperson said: “We were called at 11:54am today with reports of a collision between a car and a lorry on the Frank Perkins parkway.” Motorists are advised to avoid the area.”

Emergency services, including police, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue and the East of England Ambulance Service, remain at the scene as of 1.55pm.

The inbound part of the road remains closed. Traffic monitoring site Inrix says: “A1139 Fletton Parkway inbound closed, queueing traffic due to accident from A1(M) J17 Peterborough / Oundle to Newcombe Way. Congestion to the A605 back past the Services, queues northbound coming off the A1 to the roundabout, and queueing outbound from Nene Parkway.”

Immigration is receiving much attention in the run-up to the Welsh election. This might seem odd at first because the Welsh parliament (the Senedd) has no power over immigration. It can’t make laws on who enters the country, how asylum claims are handled or who gets citizenship. All of that is controlled by the UK government in Westminster.

But since 2019, Wales has considered itself a “nation of sanctuary”. This means the Welsh government can support refugees and asylum seekers through the services it controls, such as health, education and housing.

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Voters in Wales face Senedd election amid confusion over who holds power over what

A YouGov poll from April 2026 shows that immigration is a priority for 25% of Welsh voters, tied with the economy. Health (46%) and the cost of living (51%) are ranked higher. Among intended Reform UK voters, immigration is ranked as the highest priority (55%).

In December 2025, there were 3,353 asylum seekers in Wales, most of whom were in Cardiff. Of the £64 million spent on the nation of sanctuary since 2019, 91% has been to support refugees from Ukraine.

Data from the Welsh Election Study shows that 53.8% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “people from different backgrounds get on together” in their local area, compared with 14.4% who disagree or strongly disagree. Only a small minority feel that there are tensions in their areas.

Yet, Wales has not been exempt from the wider tensions around immigration in the UK. There have been several protests against housing asylum seekers in Penally in 2020, Llanelli in 2023 and Mold in 2025.

It is, therefore, unsurprising that some political parties have highlighted this as an electoral issue. Reform UK and the Welsh Conservatives have pledged in their manifestos to scrap the nation of sanctuary policies.

The nation of sanctuary policy is a vision that connects the Welsh government with global issues. Academics have described it as an example of “moral” or “progressive” nationalism.

It was introduced largely in response to the UK government’s “hostile environment” approach on immigration. The hostile environment was a series of policies put in place by Theresa May during her time as home secretary to make life harder for people who overstayed their visa to continue working and accessing public services, such as the NHS. For example, it required employers, landlords and service workers to check immigration status.

Alongside putting clear water between Cardiff and Whitehall, the nation of sanctuary also took inspiration from Holyrood’s New Scots strategy in creating a more welcoming environment for immigrants in Scotland.

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How immigration is playing a role in the Scottish election, even though policy is set in Westminster

The UK government is responsible for who is granted asylum and the housing of asylum seekers. The Welsh government can – and does – make policy in devolved fields such as health and education, for all residents in Wales, including people seeking sanctuary.

The nation of sanctuary built on existing Welsh policies. For example, giving rejected asylum seekers access to specialised medical care, and creating routes for refugees to work as doctors and dentists in the UK.

However, Wales is not exempt from UK-wide immigration policies. Welsh employers and landlords must continue to verify their employees’ and tenants’ immigration status, and Cardiff airport can be used for deportation flights. Nor does it mean that people seeking sanctuary are diverted to Wales from elsewhere in the UK. In this sense, Wales is less of a sanctuary than many north American cities, which can pass ordinances prohibiting deportations or inquiries about immigration status.

Nation without sanctuary

What could happen should the next Welsh government decide to revoke its nation of sanctuary vision?

Election polls have constantly shown Plaid Cymru and Reform UK in the lead. Plaid Cymru have committed to protecting the nation of sanctuary, and called for the devolution of some immigration powers to Wales. Reform UK has committed to scrapping it, and changing planning regulations to limit hotels being used to house asylum seekers. However, given Wales’ new electoral system, any party would probably need support from another to govern.

Should a future Welsh government decide to abandon the nation of sanctuary, this alone is unlikely to lead to significant changes in practice. The activism and networks that support it would continue, as would the housing of asylum seekers in Wales. These are matters for the UK government. Other policies around health and education that existed before the Nation of Sanctuary was declared would also continue.

Other specific issues relating to refugee status are subject to international agreements, such as the 1951 refugee convention. So, while immigration is a priority for some voters, no election result is likely to see immediate radical policy changes in Wales.

However, it could have a radical impact on the lives of migrants and others already affected by harsh immigration policies and rhetoric. It should be remembered that hate crimes increased during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign and its aftermath, leading to many people feeling that they no longer belonged in the UK.

The current heated political discourse dehumanises migrants, whose experiences of fleeing conflict and persecution are largely missing from discussions. Election coverage and campaigns would benefit from bringing calm, nuance and sensitivity into its approach on immigration.

College for vulnerable teens is a ‘lifeline’ but their council has now put the brakes on funding transport for young people who would not be able to keep themselves safe if they travel alone

Mums say their Reform-controlled council has started “targeting the most vulnerable” including their children.

Tina Andrews, 59, from Borough Green in Kent, says she is appalled after finding out her daughter has become a victim of the latest savage cost-saving at Kent County Council.

Kimberly, 20, is autistic and has complex needs and is currently taken to and from her college by taxi, alongside five other vulnerable students.

But now they’ve been told their safe transport is being taken away, leaving parents “feeling very anxious and stressed”.

Tina says they have been “trying to shield” their children from the worry about how they will be able to carry on attending college come September.

READ MORE: Nigel Farage’s band of ‘racists, rogues and misfits’ expose Reform UK’s hidden truthREAD MORE: Sir Richard Branson’s wife died of blood clot two weeks after fall, coroner hears

“It’s appalling they are targeting the most vulnerable people in society. To me, Reform has a culture of ignorance and marginalisation,” Tina told the Mirror.

Kimberly added: “I just think it’s absolutely appalling because I have autism and I like a routine. When that routine is destroyed I get really upset and distressed and for me that’s just discrimination for people with disabilities.”

Mum of two Karen Whitehead, 55, a charity worker from Meopham, is also worried, after being given a ‘no’ for the next term for her son Aaron, 20.

He has autism and severe delay in speech, language and communication. He also has osteoporosis and curvature of the spine.

“It’s absolutely shocking. He is the most loving, caring individual you’d ever meet. He’s adorable. His college is his lifeline, it would affect his mental health severely if he couldn’t get there.”

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Kent County Council has now completely changed their policy and many families who are currently receiving transport are being told ‘no’ for the new college year.

“These people are talking like people with no lived experience of disability,” Tina told The Mirror, pointing out comments previously made by the Reform leadership.

The party’s Deputy Leader Richard Tice described children wearing ear defenders in classrooms as “insane” and called for the practice to stop, arguing it reflects an “over-diagnosis” of special educational needs (SEN).

While Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has admitted they would cut support for many claimants of disability benefits if it won power at the next general election, with the cuts focusing on those he claims do not “genuinely deserve help”.

Tina said these comments showed “real ignorance” adding: “These types of comments are really, really damaging.”

“My daughter uses ear defenders, that’s not for fun, she has a sensory processing disorder and they help her to focus on her learning. They are a necessary tool – not a toy.”

She says to her it seems vulnerable young people like her daughter “don’t matter as much” to the party. “that’s what I see from Reform.”

Referring to their rejected transport application, she said the Reform-led council are not trying to assist exhausted families, “they are just trying to find ways of actively not helping us.”

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She explained how Kimberly has been assessed as needing transport since she was eight years old. “Her needs haven’t changed at all but I’m being told now that at the moment, the answer is ‘no’ for this September. This is cost saving exercise. They are taking money from the most disadvantaged.

“It’s a 20 minute drive away which doesn’t seem far but for a young person who can’t access public transport, it might as well be three hours away!”

“She simply cannot travel by herself, she would not know how to manage if a train was cancelled or a bus was late. She also can’t manage loud noises such as sirens…She has no real concept of stranger danger and is an extremely vulnerable young person.

“They are putting pressure on families who already have to fight for everything, it is one more thing to worry about.”

About the policy change, Tina said: “The college has told us the situation is looking very bleak and even their most challenged students are being told ‘no’. They are supposed to consider applications on a case by case basis but it seems they are just saying no to everyone.

“Everybody in Kimberly’s taxi has been told no. So it seems to be happening across the board. ”

About the joy her daughter gets from college, she adds: “She does love it and she’s got friends there, it’s a lifeline for her.

“She is worried, she said to me ‘all my friends are talking about the transport mum, talking about their taxis’.

“Kimberly has generalised anxiety disorder as a lot of them do. So any slight change in routine, or anything uncertain, can be highly anxiety provoking.”

Aaron’s mum, Karen said she was told she had not sent supportive evidence – despite providing the council with two risk assessments.

“I don’t think they are reading them. He can’t go anywhere on his own. We have a little park two minutes away and he cannot even go there on his own, he has very little danger awareness. Anybody who appeared friendly he would possibly go with them.”

She explained how he holds her arm when they are out as he is extremely anxious. So college provides him with vital independence where he feels safe getting there in a minibus with his friends.

“She says to him college is ‘his job’ where he goes four days a week. It would have a severe impact on his life. It’s incredibly sad and I don’t know what they are thinking. I now need to appeal.

“It’s like you have to fight for everything. I feel really appalled and disgusted about it. These are individuals who want to go to college. Some of these young adults. That’s their job for them, without it Aaron would sit at home and rot away. There’s nothing else for him. It’s really distressing

“It’s always a battle for him. We shouldn’t have to fight for these young adults.

“When I die, It’s literally him and I’m trying to prepare him for the future. Without things like college what he is going to do. It’s an emotional roller coaster.”

Kent County Council has been approached for comment.

“I did overreact, yes, in the way I reacted. It could have been different but I ended up losing my head,” added Neymar.

“Everyone makes mistakes. It was my mistake, his mistake, I made a slightly bigger mistake.

“He’s a boy I like very much, for whom I have a special affection. It happens in football – you argue with your friend, your brother.

“That’s football, it’s part of the game.”

Robinho Jr said Neymar “realised straight away that he’d gone too far” and apologised “several times” for the altercation.

“It was a situation that upset me because [Neymar] has been my idol since I was a child,” he added.

“People around us say a lot of things that aren’t true and it’s sad to see it blow up to this level.

“But I’m fine, I like him a lot. We’ve already talked and it’s all sorted.”

The letter states: “I understand from media reports that Mr Jackson has now been suspended by the Conservative Party. Yet, in a neighbouring ward, Conservative candidate Nathan Smith has reportedly also made deeply concerning statements, including calls for mass deportations, opposing the flying of the Indian flag and expressing support for Tommy Robinson, including in contexts associated with violence.”

The court heard Matthew Samuel put on a balaclava and turned up at the school attended by his ex’s children

An obsessed stalker bombarded an ex partner with messages, calls and social media posts and told her: “You are mine. You will always be mine.”

Matthew Samuel also turned up at the school the woman’s children attend wearing a balaclava and pretended to be his victim’s cousin in order to call the police about her.

The offending began shortly after the 35-year-old was released from prison having served a sentence for stalking the same woman and making her life a “misery”.

Swansea Crown Court heard Samuel has a history of stalking and harassing former partners. In sending him back to prison, a judge called the defendant “an extremely jealous, very immature man who simply needs to grow up” and who poses a risk to women. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here

Sian Cutter, prosecuting, told the court that Samuel and the complainant had been in a relationship for around six months before it ended due to the defendant’s jealousy, and said in October 2024 the defendant was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stalking the woman and was also made subject to a restraining order.

The court heard Samuel was released in March 2025 and “almost immediately” made contact with the woman again – despite the terms of the order – although his ex accepted that she initially did not object to the contact and that on occasions she was the one who contacted the defendant.

The prosecutor said the woman later made it clear to Samuel that she wanted nothing more to do with him, and the defendant responded by bombarding her with messages and calls from withheld numbers, ringing his ex as many as 75 times in a single day.

The court heard Samuel also started messaging his victim on Facebook, created a number of TikTok accounts in different names in order to follow her and message her, called the police pretending to be the woman’s cousin in order to report concerns for her welfare, and turned up at the school her children attended wearing a balaclava.

The prosecutor said during the course of the stalking Samuel made a number of threats towards the woman including telling her he was going to throw a brick through her window and was going to murder her. In one message he told his ex: “You are mine. You will always be mine”.

The court heard that matters were reported to the police in October and the defendant was arrested and questioned, answering “no comment” to all questions asked in interview. Samuel was released on bail on condition that he not contact his ex, but he continued his unwanted communications regardless.

The prosecutor said when the woman changed her phone, the defendant found out what the new number was and continued to call and text from withheld numbers. She said in one of the calls the defendant made to his ex, he told her “there was nothing she could say or do to make him leave her alone”.

The contact continued until Samuel was arrested again in January this year. He again answered “no comment” to all questions asked in interview.

In an impact statement which was read to the court by the prosecution barrister, the victim said she now struggles to sleep, feels she is always being “watched” when she leaves the house but does not feel safe at home, and is on antidepressant medication. She said she had been left feeling “frightened and powerless”.

Matthew Samuel, formerly of Vicarage Road, Morriston, Swansea, but now of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious alarm or distress, and to breach of a restraining order when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has 31 previous convictions for 52 offences including stalking, harassment, and breach of restraining orders in relation to two different previous partners. Samuel threatened to pour petrol through the letterbox of one of his ex-partners and to “chop her up and burn her alive”, and he poured petrol over the driveway of a second former-partner and set it alight.

In October 2024 Samuel was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stalking the same victim as the current offending. On that occasion the court heard the defendant had made his ex’s life “a misery” with a campaign of unwanted and threatening calls, texts, and visits to her home.

He bombarded his victim with up to 93 calls a day, threatened to turn up at her children’s play centre and stab himself in front of everyone there, and told her he would “make sure she loses everything” by spreading rumours that she was ill-treating her kids.

David Singh, for Samuel, said pre-sentence and psychiatric reports before the court detailed the defendant’s “difficult background” and the impact that had on his ability to form appropriate relationships.

He said while those matters in no way justified his client’s “inexcusable behaviour” they did provide a context for what happened, though he added it had to be accepted that Samuel had exacerbated the situation through his use of drink and drugs.

The barrister said his client has two young children and realises that he has to grow up otherwise he is going to miss out on meaningful contact with them.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said after being released from prison – and in the face of a restraining order – the defendant bombarded his victim with calls, texts, and social media postings, made a series of threats against her, and had turned up at her children’s school.

The judge told Samuel: “You are an extremely jealous, very immature man who simply needs to grow up. Above that, I think you are potentially a risk to any woman who you are in a relationship with. The court has a duty to protect women. The only way it can do that is to keep you out of the way.”

With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas Samuel was sentenced to three years in prison comprising three years for stalking and two years and three months for breach of restraining order to run concurrently. The defendant will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

The court heard the existing restraining order the defendant is subject to will remain in place to 2029.

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A court has heard how Samuel Field became ‘paranoid’ and accused Martin Glynn, 93, of an “imagined conspiracy”

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A 40-year-old man who tortured an elderly pensioner over a period of 24 hours is facing jail time for his murder.

Samuel Field launched a harrowing attack on his so-called friend in September 2024. Martin Glynn, who was 93 years old when he was assaulted, was punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled in the vicious attack that lasted hours at Field’s Desborough home, Northamptonshire Police said.

Tragically, Mr Glynn never regained the ability to walk after the horrific assault and passed away three months after on Boxing Day.

A court also heard ‘paranoid’ cannabis user Field made several voice recordings about a conspiracy during the vicious assault, reports the Daily Star.

On Wednesday, police announced that a jury at Northampton Crown Court took less than four hours to find Field guilty of murdering the elderly man after an 11-day trial.

In the prosecution’s opening statement last month, Adrian Langdale KC informed the court how Mr Glynn was fit and healthy enough to undertake a journey of over two hours, utilising multiple buses, to the defendant’s home in Gold Street, from his own home in Northampton, on September 19.

Mr Langdale had told the jury that Field was “effectively torturing” his friend of nearly 20 years while experiencing paranoia induced by cannabis.

The prosecutor stated that by 4.22pm that afternoon, Mr Glynn was “sprawled helplessly on the living-room floor” and the attacks continued as Field interrogated Mr Glynn about an “imagined conspiracy”.

In recordings made by Field, the court heard him discuss a conspiracy that “everyone is in for him” and accused Mr Glynn of giving a key to his home to an Irish traveller.

Mr Langdale had stated that Field was “effectively torturing and interrogating” as he attempted to coerce Mr Glynn into confessing, only calling an ambulance approximately 28 hours after the assault commenced.

Field, previously of Gold Street, Desborough, is set to be sentenced on May 29.

Following the verdict, deputy senior investigating officer Detective Sergeant Megan Scotney, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “Samuel Field described Mr Glynn as his best friend of almost two decades.

“Only Field knows why he attacked Mr Glynn that day, but I am pleased the jury has seen him for what he truly is – a dangerous, violent man.”

A Dutch couple who died from hantavirus after sailing on a doomed cruise ship are reportedly believed to have caught the illness while birdwatching.

Argentine officials revealed their government’s leading theory is that the two MV Hondius passengers carried the rat-virus on board after birdwatching in the city of Ushuaia, Associated Press reports.

The pair, both 69, visited a landfill site during the trip and may have been exposed to rodents carrying the deadly infection.

They then boarded the cruise ship on April 1 2026 and the husband developed flu-like symptoms five days later.

He died on April 11 and his body went ashore at Saint Helena on April 24 alongside his wife. She then fell ill and died in Johannesburg on April 26.

The family of the couple at the centre of the outbreak said: ‘We cannot yet comprehend that we have to miss them. We want to bring them home in peace and remember them.’

The WHO has also said it has been tracing people on the woman’s flight between the Saint Helena and Johannesburg. ‘Contact tracing for passengers on the flight has been initiated,’ WHO said in a statement.

There had been 82 passengers and six crew onboard the April 25 flight, South African-based carrier Airlink told AFP.

Argentine authorities have said Ushuaia and surrounding Tierra del Fuego province had never recorded a hantavirus case.

A German national also died on the ship on May 2 and it’s unclear if they were infected.

More cases of hantavirus have now emerged on board the luxury cruise liner as it travelled towards Cape Verde.

Five people are confirmed to have caught the virus, with three more suspected to be infected.

A British national is intensive care in South Africa after he was evacuated from the ship at the end of April.

Swiss authorities have also confirmed a case of hantavirus from a passenger on the first leg of the trip, who presented to hospital in Zurich after receiving an email about the outbreak.

Three individuals, including the British ship doctor, were medically evacuated from the cruise ship on Wednesday.

Two are in a serious condition and are confirmed to have the virus, while a third is asymptomatic but was a close contact of the German national who died on May 2.

Hantavirus is typically only spread by exposure to rodent urine, feces or saliva, but the World Health Organisation believes that human-to-human transmission took place on MV Hondius.

What is hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are a family of rodent-bourne viruses, with each strain tied to a specific host species.

It’s spread when people come into contact with infected droppings, saliva, urine or nesting materials, but is extremely rare, and rarely passed from person to person.

If caught, hantavirus can lead to two main illnesses, one of which affects the lungs (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome or HPS) and the other which affects the kidneys (Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome or HFRS).

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The incubation period for this illness is generally two to four weeks, according to the government, but can range from as little as two days to as long as eight weeks.

What are the symptoms?

Early symptoms of hantavirus are similar to the flu, and include headaches, dizziness, chills as well as abdominal problems like diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea.

If it progresses into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, patients can experience headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

If you develop Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, initial symptoms will include intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever or chills, nausea, and blurred vision.

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If the disease progresses, later symptoms include low blood pressure, acute shock (lack of blood flow), internal bleeding, and acute kidney failure, according to the CDC.

Hantavirus can be fatal, so it’s important to keep an eye on symptoms if you believe you’ve been exposed. There is currently no cure for the disease.

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The evacuation means the ship can now continue on its three-day journey to the Canary Islands after Spanish authorities gave permission for the boat to dock.

Around 150 guests and crew – including 23 British nationals – initially remained on the liner after the rat-related virus outbreak took hold.

According to WHO, the outbreak continues to pose a low risk to public health.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, added that the risk of hantavirus spreading from the outbreak is ‘essentially zero’.

This is because the Andes virus – the variant which is understood to have caused the outbreak – is ‘known very rarely to spread between people with close contact’.

‘It means it is very easy to isolate people who are unwell and to follow quarantine and so on to avoid spread to other people,’ he added.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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