The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that ten individuals from the remote South Atlantic islands of St Helena and Ascension Island, both British Overseas Territories, will be relocated to the United Kingdom as a precautionary measure. This decision follows their exposure to a hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Precautionary Relocation for Medical Oversight
The group, which has been in contact with affected passengers, will complete their self-isolation in the UK. The UKHSA stated that this move ensures access to appropriate specialist medical services through England's high consequence infectious disease network. Currently, none of the contacts are symptomatic, and the relocation is purely precautionary to support communities in the overseas territories.
It remains unclear whether the group includes British nationals. The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
Ongoing Management of Cruise Ship Contacts
This development comes as 20 British nationals from the MV Hondius, along with a German UK resident and a Japanese passenger, prepare to leave Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside. They were transferred there on Sunday evening after the ship docked in Tenerife, following a three-day isolation and assessment period. They will now complete a further 42 days of isolation.
Public health specialists have assessed each passenger individually, and tailored support packages will allow some to isolate at home. Health protection teams across the UK will maintain daily contact throughout the isolation period to ensure safe isolation.
Additionally, a small number of individuals who have been isolating at home or elsewhere in England will be assessed at Arrowe Park. Two Britons who returned early from the ship have been isolating at home and, although asymptomatic, will stay at Arrowe Park to continue isolation.
Official Statements
Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Officer at UKHSA, expressed gratitude for the passengers' cooperation, acknowledging the unsettling period. He emphasised the priority of ensuring safety and support for all individuals, wherever they complete isolation, and urged respect for their privacy.
The Ascension Island Government stated that a small number of individuals on St Helena who travelled on the vessel have been assessed as higher risk, and while the likelihood of illness remains low, pre-emptive relocation to the UK has been advised.
Broader Hantavirus Situation
Separately, a British man with hantavirus is being treated in Johannesburg and is reportedly improving, while another is in the Netherlands. A third British national is isolating on Tristan da Cunha. To date, 11 hantavirus cases have been reported among cruise passengers, including three deaths. Nine cases are confirmed, with two probable.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, commended Spain's prime minister for allowing the ship to dock in Tenerife, describing it as a moral duty. He noted that some passengers faced mental breakdown and stressed the need for compassion. He added that there is no sign of a larger outbreak, but more cases may emerge due to the virus's long incubation period.
In a video message, the ship's captain thanked passengers for their patience and kindness during the challenging weeks. Meanwhile, a French woman with hantavirus is in intensive care in Paris, and a US-evacuated passenger has tested positive without symptoms. A Spaniard quarantining in Madrid has also provisionally tested positive.
