Twenty British nationals from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which experienced a deadly hantavirus outbreak, continue to receive practical and emotional support while isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral. The group, which also includes a German UK resident and a Japanese passenger, arrived on Sunday after the ship docked in Tenerife.
Isolation and Monitoring at Arrowe Park
The passengers will stay at the hospital for three days before being allowed to return home to complete a 42-day isolation period. Those unable to go home will be placed in alternative accommodation. Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), stated that passengers are living as normally as possible, staying in family groups, and undergoing intense testing for the virus and antibodies.
French and US Cases
The French government reported that a French woman evacuated from the ship tested positive for hantavirus and her condition worsened overnight. She was among five French passengers repatriated to France on Sunday. US officials also confirmed that an American passenger flown to Nebraska tested positive but remains asymptomatic.
Ongoing Support and Risk Assessment
Professor May emphasized that each individual's circumstances are assessed case by case to determine the best isolation location. Support includes providing clothing and supplies, as many passengers left belongings behind, along with emotional assistance. He noted that the risk of transmission from asymptomatic individuals is extremely low, as the virus primarily spreads through close contact with symptomatic individuals.
Global Response and WHO Involvement
Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson thanked NHS workers and confirmed that no passengers are symptomatic, keeping public risk low. The World Health Organisation aims to complete the ship's evacuation, except for 30 crew members, by Monday evening. Three people have died in the outbreak, with one British man still hospitalized in Johannesburg and another in the Netherlands. A British national with hantavirus is isolating on Tristan da Cunha, supported by military personnel parachuted in to assist.
Infection Control and Hospital Operations
Strict infection control measures were in place during transport, with all personnel wearing PPE. Arrowe Park Hospital has self-contained flats for isolation, and services continue as normal. If passengers develop symptoms, they will be transferred to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital for specialist care.
