Twenty-Two Evacuated as Hantavirus Monitoring Ends at Arrowe Park
Twenty-Two Evacuated as Hantavirus Monitoring Ends at Arrowe Park
UK health teams oversee 22 evacuees from the MV Hondius' hantavirus outbreak as they finish 72 hours of hospital isolation, with further home monitoring planned.
Twenty-two people evacuated from the MV Hondius after a hantavirus outbreak are set to leave Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral after 72 hours of isolation. The group includes 20 British nationals, a German national who is a UK resident, and a Japanese passenger. They will continue to self-isolate at home for another 42 days if advised by medical teams, with ongoing monitoring by UKHSA and NHS staff.
Ten more passengers and crew are being brought to the UK from Saint Helena and Ascension Islands as a precaution. NHS England said the country is well equipped to respond if any of the travellers become unwell.
Public health and infectious disease specialists said those at Arrowe Park have been healthy and asymptomatic while in hospital. Officials will assess whether the individuals can finish self-isolation at home or if another location should be arranged.
Three people have died since the outbreak, with two confirmed to have hantavirus. This included an elderly Dutch man who died before testing, his wife, and a German woman.
The World Health Organization emphasized that there is no sign yet of a larger outbreak, but containment work continues and authorities warn more cases could emerge.
