Hantavirus Outbreak: Evacuated Cruise Ship Passengers Begin Isolation at UK Facility

Hantavirus Passengers Begin Isolation at Merseyside Facility After UK Evacuation

Passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship are now spending their first full day in isolation at a dedicated UK facility, following their emergency evacuation from Tenerife amid a growing hantavirus outbreak that has claimed three lives.

Repatriation Flights Bring Passengers Home

A chartered Titan Airways aircraft transported the affected passengers from the Canary Islands to Manchester Airport on Sunday evening, marking the beginning of a large-scale international repatriation effort. Spain's health minister confirmed that the full evacuation of passengers of all nationalities would be completed by Monday, with additional flights arriving from both Australia and the Netherlands.

The Australian repatriation flight was set to evacuate six passengers from Tenerife, while the Dutch flight was scheduled to carry 18 individuals — both aircraft also accommodating passengers from countries that had not arranged their own dedicated return flights.

Arrowe Park Facility Houses 22 Passengers

The former Covid-19 quarantine site at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, has been repurposed to accommodate 22 individuals connected to the outbreak. This includes 20 British passengers who were screened for hantavirus prior to boarding their flight home, along with one German national who is a UK resident and one Japanese passenger, the latter having been accepted at the direct request of the Japanese government in Tokyo.

All individuals at the facility will undergo isolation and monitoring in accordance with UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidelines.

Strict Infection Control Measures Enforced

Throughout the journey back to the United Kingdom, rigorous infection control protocols were strictly enforced. Passengers, crew members, drivers, and accompanying medical personnel were all required to wear full personal protective equipment, including face masks, to minimise any risk of transmission.

The Arrowe Park facility itself offers six floors of fully self-contained apartments, each equipped with private bedrooms, en suite bathrooms, a kitchen, and lounge areas — providing passengers with a degree of comfort and privacy during their mandatory stay.

Clinical Assessments Underway

Janelle Holmes, Chief Executive of Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, confirmed that comprehensive welfare checks would be conducted on every individual housed at the facility.

"There is nobody being transferred to us that has been symptomatic in any way," Holmes stated. "There is no impact on the hospital — services are running as normal, and patients should still attend their appointments as scheduled."

She added that should any passenger develop symptoms during their stay, they would be transferred to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, which is home to the regional tropical and infectious diseases unit.

45-Day Home Isolation to Follow

Following the initial 72-hour assessment period at Arrowe Park, public health specialists will evaluate whether passengers are able to continue their isolation at home or at an alternative location, based on individual living circumstances. All returning passengers will be required to self-isolate for a total of 45 days and will be prohibited from using public transport to travel to their residences.

Throughout this extended isolation period, UKHSA health protection teams will maintain daily contact with each passenger to monitor their wellbeing and provide the necessary support to ensure safe and effective isolation.

Global Death Toll and Confirmed Cases

According to the latest figures published by the World Health Organization, eight people who had been aboard the MV Hondius have fallen ill, with six confirmed cases of hantavirus infection. Three passengers have died — a Dutch couple and one German national.

In the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services reported that one of 17 Americans being repatriated had tested positive for the Andes strain of the virus, while a second was experiencing mild symptoms. France's health minister also confirmed that a French passenger had tested positive, with reports indicating that their condition was deteriorating. It remains unclear whether these cases are included in the six officially reported by the WHO.

Public Risk Remains Low, Officials Say

Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson moved to reassure the public, emphasising that none of the passengers currently housed at Arrowe Park were showing any symptoms.

"We will monitor them closely over the next 72 hours at the hospital as part of a precautionary isolation period," she said. "With no cases or symptoms among them and both our stringent monitoring and isolation measures in place, the risk to the public remains extremely low."