Twenty Britons Evacuated from Hantavirus-Stricken MV Hondius Arrive in UK
A charter flight transporting 20 British citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which has been impacted by hantavirus, has arrived in the UK. The passengers disembarked at Manchester Airport after the vessel docked in Tenerife on Sunday morning, and are now being transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, for a mandatory 72-hour isolation.
The Ministry of Defence asserts that the risk to the general public remains exceptionally low, with no UK nationals on the flight reporting symptoms, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Three individuals have died in the outbreak, including two of the six confirmed hantavirus cases by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Two other confirmed cases involve British nationals receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa. Hantavirus, primarily carried by rodents, typically does not transmit between humans, though the Andes strain, identified in some passengers from the Dutch cruise ship, is an exception.
Upon arrival at Arrowe Park, the former passengers will undergo screening and continuous assessment. They will reside in self-contained flats with access to communication facilities and will be provided with clothing, having been required to leave most belongings on the ship. A specialist team will be present throughout their quarantine period.
Janelle Holmes, CEO of Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust, highlighted the need to provide support for those who are likely to be exhausted and potentially traumatised by the experience. Following their departure from Arrowe Park, passengers will be requested to self-isolate for an additional 42 days as a precautionary measure, with public transport use prohibited for their journeys home.
Emergency services in the North West have affirmed that the NHS trust and hospital are operating normally, with no risk to patients, visitors, or staff. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed gratitude to those involved in facilitating the return of the passengers with public health protections in place.
Beyond the confirmed cases, two suspected cases are under investigation, including a British man currently in a stable condition and isolated on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha. A team of six British Army paratroopers and two medical clinicians have been deployed to the island to assist the local medical team. This marks the first instance of the UK military parachuting medical personnel for humanitarian support.
Separately, two Britons are voluntarily self-isolating at home in the UK, having disembarked the vessel at St Helena on 24 April, prior to the initial hantavirus confirmation. The MV Hondius commenced its journey on 1 April in Ushuaia, Argentina, reportedly carrying approximately 150 passengers and crew from 28 nations. While many passengers disembarked for repatriation, around 30 crew members, a Dutch nurse, and the body of a deceased passenger remain aboard. The ship is en route to Rotterdam for disinfection, as confirmed by the WHO.
