Twenty British nationals have commenced a 45-day period of self-isolation in the United Kingdom after being evacuated from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak. Health officials have expressed concern that the passengers may be left feeling 'traumatised' by their experience.
Arrival and Isolation at Arrowe Park Hospital
The passengers, who are currently isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, arrived on a chartered flight from Tenerife that landed at Manchester Airport on Sunday. They were transported under police escort in two white coaches to a block of self-contained flats situated on the hospital grounds. These flats are equipped with telephones, enabling the individuals to stay in contact with friends and family members. As of now, none of the evacuees have displayed any symptoms of the virus.
Health authorities held a press conference to address any public concerns regarding the risk posed by the passengers. They emphasised that the risk to the wider population is 'very low', noting that hantavirus is 'not like Covid or flu'. The passengers will remain in the six-storey block of flats for an initial 72 hours before being required to self-isolate at home for an additional 42 days.
Medical Monitoring and Support
Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), confirmed to the BBC that all evacuees are 'healthy and asymptomatic'. However, he indicated that the isolation period 'may need to be updated depending on what the science tells us'. The outbreak on the MV Hondius, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde, has resulted in three deaths. Two British nationals are currently receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa, while two others who left the trip early are isolating at home.
Most strains of hantavirus, a group of viruses carried by rodents, do not spread from person to person. However, the Andes strain, which has been identified in several cases from the Dutch cruise ship, is capable of human-to-human transmission. Janelle Holmes, CEO of Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust, stated that the former passengers will undergo screening and continuous assessment. A specialist team will remain on site throughout the quarantine period to provide support and conduct welfare checks.
'This is an understood, known virus that can be managed appropriately. The risk is really, really low; you have to have really close contact; it's not like Covid or flu,' Holmes said. Regarding the passengers' wellbeing, she added: 'What we've learnt from past experience is they're going to be absolutely shattered. They've probably felt quite traumatised by the whole experience, so the thing for us to do is to make sure that they're here, they're safe, they're welcome.' If any passengers develop symptoms, they will be transferred to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, which houses the regional Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit.
Additional Cases and Military Assistance
In addition to the confirmed cases, there are two suspected cases, including a British man currently on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha. He is in a stable condition and in isolation. A team of six British Army paratroopers and two medical clinicians parachuted onto the island to assist its two-person medical team in providing care for the man and other residents. According to the Ministry of Defence, this marks the first time the UK military has parachuted in medical personnel for humanitarian support.
It is believed that 'patient zero' for the hantavirus outbreak on the ship was Leo Schilperoord, a 70-year-old Dutch national who visited a landfill site for birdwatching in the Argentine city of Ushuaia. 'It is common for birdwatchers to visit landfills because there are many birds there,' said Gaston Bretti, a photographer and local guide. 'It's a mountain of waste that today far exceeds the limit initially established by the authorities.' The virus spreads through inhalation of aerosolised particles from rodent droppings and urine.
Schilperoord and his wife, Mirjam, 69, from the village of Haulerwijk, had spent months travelling across South America before boarding the ship. They visited Chile and Uruguay before returning to Argentina in late March 2026 for the expedition on MV Hondius. The couple boarded the ship in Ushuaia on April 1st. Six days into the voyage, Leo became ill with symptoms including high fever, headaches, stomach pain, and diarrhoea. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died aboard the ship on April 11th. On April 24th, during a scheduled stop at Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, Mirjam disembarked with her husband's body. She flew to Johannesburg, South Africa, intending to catch a KLM connection to the Netherlands, but airline staff deemed her too ill to board. She collapsed at Johannesburg airport and died the following day.
