UK Evacuates 10 Britons for hantavirus monitoring after Hondius outbreak
UK Evacuates 10 Britons for hantavirus monitoring after Hondius outbreak
Ten passengers from Saint Helena and Ascension Island are flown to the UK for self-isolation after hantavirus cases on the MV Hondius; none show symptoms so far.
Ten people from Saint Helena and Ascension Island who were on the MV Hondius are being flown to the UK for self-isolation as a precautionary measure. None of them are showing symptoms, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
The evacuees join a broader group of 20 British nationals, a German national who is a UK resident, and a Japanese passenger, all being monitored as health teams assess the situation. After discharge, they will self-isolate for up to 45 days.
The group is currently in a 72-hour isolation period at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, with more than 24 hours elapsed. Health officials say the NHS in England is well equipped to respond if anyone falls ill, and that robust arrangements are in place to care for those involved.
Clinical assessments and testing of all passengers from the Hondius are underway at the Merseyside hospital.
Three people have died in connection with the outbreak—a Dutch man and his wife who died after disembarking, and a German woman who died on board. The World Health Organization has stressed that the work to contain hantavirus is not over, while officials emphasize that precautionary measures are intended to prevent wider spread.
