French and American tourists have tested positive for the deadly hantavirus following an outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, as repatriated British passengers arrived in the UK on Monday. A French national began developing symptoms during a chartered flight from Tenerife to Paris, according to French Prime Minister Sebastiane Lecornu. Meanwhile, the US Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that among 17 Americans being repatriated, one has mild symptoms and another tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes strain of the virus.
British Passengers Arrive at Isolation Facility
Twenty British passengers evacuated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrived at Manchester Airport on a chartered Titan Airways flight on Sunday evening. They have been transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, the UK's initial Covid quarantine site, for a precautionary isolation period. None of the passengers are symptomatic, but they will be monitored closely for 72 hours, said Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson. The facility offers self-contained flats with bedrooms, en-suite bathrooms, kitchens, and lounge areas.
Global Repatriation Efforts Underway
Spain, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, Ireland, and the United States have evacuated their citizens from the MV Hondius, which is anchored near Tenerife. Australia also announced plans to repatriate its citizens, with Environment Minister Murray Watt confirming a small number of Australians and one resident of another country would be brought back for medical treatment. The World Health Organisation reported eight people from the ship have fallen ill, with six confirmed cases and three deaths—a Dutch couple and a German national.
Monitoring and Support
During isolation, passengers will have daily contact with UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) health protection teams. Professor Robin May, UKHSA chief scientific officer, stated the risk to the public remains very low. One German national and one Japanese passenger are also being monitored at Arrowe Park, the latter at the request of the Tokyo government. If symptoms develop, patients will be transferred to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital's Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit.
Isolation Protocols
Passengers will self-isolate for 45 days and are prohibited from using public transport to reach their homes. After the initial 72-hour monitoring period, public health specialists will assess whether they can continue isolation at home. The hospital's chief executive, Janelle Holmes, emphasised the virus requires close contact for transmission and poses minimal risk to the general public. Thirty crew members and a nurse from the Netherlands remain on the ship, which will sail to Rotterdam for disinfection.
