A third British citizen is suspected of being infected with hantavirus

A third British citizen is suspected of being infected with hantavirus after an outbreak of the disease aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, British authorities have announced.

The patient is currently on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where the ship had stopped in mid-April.

Two more Britons have tested positive for hantavirus. One is in a stable condition in the Netherlands after being evacuated from the ship on Wednesday, while the other remains in intensive care in South Africa where he was taken last month, the BBC reports.

So far, five cases of hantavirus have been confirmed on the ship. Authorities have announced that one of the three people who died during the voyage was also infected with the virus.

The MV Hondius is expected to arrive this weekend in the Canary Islands where British authorities have organised a plane to return British passengers and crew to the United Kingdom.

Although none of the remaining Britons on board are currently showing symptoms, they will be asked to self-isolate once they return home.

Briton Martin Anstee, 56, a former policeman and expedition guide aboard the ship, was evacuated to the Netherlands on Wednesday along with a Dutch crew member, 41, and a 65-year-old German national.

He told the BBC that he was feeling "good" and that his condition was stable.

Another British passenger, a 69-year-old man with a confirmed case of hantavirus, was flown to South Africa for treatment in late April. Officials say he remains in intensive care but is improving.

Two other British nationals are currently self-isolating in the UK after possible exposure to the virus. They are asymptomatic and are self-isolating voluntarily.

They were part of a group of 30 people from 12 different countries, including seven Britons, who disembarked from the ship in St Helena on April 24, according to operator Oceanwide Expeditions.

The company announced that the first confirmed case of hantavirus on the ship was reported on May 4 and that all passengers who had disembarked from the ship have been contacted.

Four Britons who disembarked on St Helena remain there. They are asymptomatic but are in constant contact with health authorities. It is reported that medical teams will be sent to the island to provide support.