Seven British nationals have disembarked from the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius mid-voyage, alongside a Dutch woman who later died, according to tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions. The ship docked at the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena on 24 April 2026, where 30 passengers left the vessel, including the body of a guest who had died on board on 11 April.
Disembarkation Details
Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that 114 guests boarded the MV Hondius in Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April. Thirty guests disembarked in St Helena, representing 12 nationalities, among them seven Britons. The company stated that all individuals who left the ship have been contacted. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been asked whether it has communicated with all seven Britons.
European Health Advisory
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) declared on Wednesday that all individuals on board should be considered close contacts. This follows the UKHSA's announcement that two Britons who returned from the vessel are self-isolating at home after flying back via Johannesburg from St Helena.
Of the 19 British passengers and four British crew members on the MV Hondius, two have been medically evacuated. Crew member Martin Anstee, 56, a former police officer and expedition guide, was airlifted to the Netherlands for specialist care on Wednesday. A 69-year-old British passenger was evacuated to South Africa on 27 April and is receiving treatment in a private facility in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Self-Isolation Measures
UK health experts have advised that British passengers on board will be required to self-isolate for 45 days upon returning to the UK. Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, stated that the risk to the broader public is negligible, but those on the ship now heading to Tenerife will be flown home and asked to self-isolate, most likely at home, for 45 days. The Foreign Office is arranging a charter flight for symptom-free Britons once the ship docks in Tenerife.
Professor May explained that the incubation period for hantavirus can extend up to eight weeks, but the recommended isolation period is approximately six weeks (45 days). Contact tracing is underway for passengers who may have sat next to the two Britons on their flight home. He emphasised that hantavirus is not easily transmitted, so brief encounters in airports pose minimal risk.
Outbreak Origin
The outbreak, linked to three deaths, has been connected to a birdwatching expedition in Argentina that two passengers attended before boarding. Spanish authorities have permitted the ship to dock in the Canary Islands despite local concerns. The vessel left Cape Verde on Wednesday evening and is expected to arrive in Granadilla, Tenerife, in three to four days. Approximately 150 people remain on board under strict precautionary measures.
Three individuals were evacuated to the Netherlands on Wednesday, including Martin Anstee. Speaking from hospital, Anstee said he was stable but undergoing tests. His wife described the experience as traumatic, noting that the virus can deteriorate quickly. The Argentine government hypothesises that a Dutch couple contracted the virus during a birdwatching tour at a landfill in Ushuaia, where they may have encountered infected rodents.
Passengers have been confined to their cabins while disinfection and public health measures are implemented, as confirmed by the World Health Organisation on Tuesday.
