The UK government is working to repatriate 22 British passengers and crew members from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which has been affected by a hantavirus outbreak. The vessel is expected to dock in Tenerife on Sunday, with hopes of flying the Britons back to the UK the same day.
Plans for Repatriation
Officials from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Foreign Office will greet the ship upon its arrival in the Canary Islands. All British nationals on board will be tested for hantavirus before disembarking. Those who test negative and show no symptoms will be escorted directly to a dedicated repatriation flight staffed by medical professionals and equipped with necessary medicines and equipment.
The flight's timing depends on weather conditions as the ship sails from the coast off Cape Verde. The majority of returning Britons are expected to self-isolate at home, but the UKHSA is arranging alternative accommodation if home isolation is not possible. Further details on this will be released later.
Current Situation
Two British men are currently receiving treatment for hantavirus in the Netherlands and Johannesburg, South Africa. A third British man with symptoms is being cared for on Tristan da Cunha. In total, 30 passengers and crew from the MV Hondius are British, with 22 still on board. Seven Britons disembarked in St Helena on April 23, and two of them have returned to the UK and are self-isolating without symptoms. Four Britons remain on St Helena, and one has been traced in an undisclosed country outside the UK.
The UKHSA is tracing and contacting all individuals who had contact with British nationals who left the ship. The Foreign Office is in daily contact with the 22 British passengers and crew on board, who currently have no symptoms. Any person developing symptoms before docking would be treated in the Canary Islands.
Isolation and Testing Measures
Returning Britons will not be allowed to use public transport to reach their homes. They will self-isolate for 45 days and undergo self-testing, with further testing after the isolation period ends. UKHSA experts are investigating the virus's transmission, noting that previous outbreaks suggest close contact is required and most transmission occurs when symptoms are present. Officials do not believe the current strain is more transmissible than previous ones.
Broader Outbreak Details
Nine confirmed cases of hantavirus have been linked to the cruise ship, including the two British men, with one additional suspected case. Five of the nine cases are confirmed, while four remain suspected. Around 30 people left the ship when it docked in St Helena in late April, including a Dutch woman who died after becoming unwell during onward travel. Three deaths have been linked to the outbreak.
The UKHSA stated that UK government staff will support British nationals disembarking, escorting asymptomatic passengers to the airport for free passage back to the UK. The flight will operate under strict infection control measures, with public health and infectious disease specialists on board.
Medical Updates
A 69-year-old British man receiving intensive care in Johannesburg is improving, as is Martin Anstee, 56, who was flown to the Netherlands for specialist care. The World Health Organisation reported improved morale on the ship, with two doctors and infectious disease experts from WHO and ECDC on board conducting medical assessments. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that more cases could emerge due to the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can extend to six weeks.
The outbreak has been linked to a birdwatching expedition in Argentina that two passengers attended before boarding. Spain's health secretary reported a suspected case in Alicante involving a passenger who was on the same plane as the patient who died in Johannesburg.
Professor Sir Peter Horby, director of the pandemic sciences institute at the University of Oxford, praised the UKHSA, Foreign Office, and NHS for taking appropriate measures, stating that repatriation and isolation are morally and scientifically correct.
