Passengers from Saint Helena and Ascension Island Transferred to UK for Isolation
Ten individuals from the UK Overseas Territories of Saint Helena and Ascension Island who were aboard the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius are being transported to the United Kingdom to complete their self-isolation period.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stated that this move is a "precautionary measure" and emphasized that none of these passengers are exhibiting symptoms of hantavirus infection.
Ongoing Clinical Assessments and Testing
Health officials reported that clinical evaluations and testing of passengers from the MV Hondius are "well under way" at a hospital in Merseyside.
The group of passengers includes 20 British nationals, a German national residing in the UK, and a Japanese passenger. They have been in isolation for over 24 hours within a 72-hour hospital isolation period at Arrowe Park Hospital.
Following discharge, these individuals will be required to self-isolate for up to 45 days to monitor for any delayed onset of symptoms.
Official Statements from UKHSA
On Monday, Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at UKHSA, described the evacuees as "healthy and asymptomatic."
"We want to reassure both passengers and the wider public that robust arrangements are in place, and that everyone involved will be looked after every step of the way," he added in a later update on Monday evening.
The UKHSA further explained that the transfer of the 10 passengers from Saint Helena and Ascension Island to the UK was due to the NHS in England being "well equipped to respond if they become unwell."
Deaths Linked to the Outbreak
There have been three fatalities associated with the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship, two of which were confirmed cases of the virus.
The deceased include an elderly Dutch man who passed away before testing could be conducted, his wife who died after disembarking, and a German woman who died onboard the vessel.
World Health Organization Comments
On Tuesday morning, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the situation, stating that "our work is not over" in containing the hantavirus following the cruise ship outbreak.
"There is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak," he said, but cautioned that "given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks."
The WHO chief also noted the psychological impact on passengers, some of whom were "facing mental breakdown" after spending weeks onboard in what he described as "a very frightening situation."
He added that the WHO's position was that keeping people onboard during the quarantine period "would have been inhumane, and unnecessary."
Repatriation and Current Isolation Arrangements
The Dutch MV Hondius, which was docked in Spain's Canary Islands, has seen 87 passengers repatriated over recent days, according to the ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions.
The group currently isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital were flown to Manchester from Tenerife on Sunday. Their initial 72-hour hospital isolation is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday.
They are accommodated in flats where food and essentials are provided, with ongoing care from UKHSA and NHS teams.
Public health and infectious disease specialists will evaluate whether these individuals can continue self-isolation at home for up to 45 days or if alternative arrangements are necessary.
Additional Repatriations and Cases
Two British nationals have returned home via repatriation flights to the United States, and another British national is expected to return to Australia, UKHSA confirmed.
Two other British nationals with confirmed hantavirus cases are currently receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa.
Meanwhile, a British man on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, suspected of having hantavirus, remains in stable condition and is in isolation.
Two more British citizens are voluntarily self-isolating at home in the UK after disembarking the vessel at St Helena on 24 April, prior to the confirmation of the first hantavirus case.
Background on the MV Hondius Outbreak
The MV Hondius commenced its voyage on 1 April from Ushuaia, Argentina, carrying approximately 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries initially onboard.
Oceanwide Expeditions reported on Monday that all guests remaining onboard at the time the outbreak was confirmed have now been repatriated to their respective home countries.
The ship is en route to the Netherlands with 25 crew members and two medical professionals onboard, along with the body of the German passenger who died.
