Hantavirus scare: UK moves 9 contacts to isolation facility after exposure alert

In a statement, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said: “UKHSA can confirm that nine asymptomatic contacts from St Helena and Ascension Island are expected to arrive in the UK this evening. Working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and UK Overseas Territories, they will be brought to the UK to complete their self-isolation, where the NHS’s High Consequence Infectious Diseases network can provide support should they become unwell.”

The individuals will be transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital for isolation.

Meera Chand said: “UKHSA will continue to work with our partners locally, nationally and internationally to ensure everyone has the necessary support in place. We are undertaking the safe repatriation of those affected by the outbreak where appropriate, incorporating medical checks and support, with the latest flight arriving tonight. We are committed to keeping these passengers and the wider population safe and will remain in close contact with them as they complete their self-isolation period.”

According to the official statement, the UK government continues to work closely with the NHS, local authorities, and British Overseas Territories in response to the hantavirus outbreak.

UKHSA and NHS staff have been closely monitoring those currently isolating at Arrowe Park and others self-isolating at home to ensure they receive all necessary support.

The agency also confirmed that one individual has left Arrowe Park to complete the remainder of their 45-day isolation period at home after clinical and public health assessments deemed it safe.

Meanwhile, a contact from Ascension Island — a medic who developed symptoms — has been safely transferred to the High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust for treatment.

The outbreak has so far recorded three deaths.

According to the United Nations Regional Information Centre, the recent hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius has brought renewed global attention to the virus, six years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, sparking concerns over the possible resurgence of serious infectious diseases.

Hantavirus is a rodent-borne disease that can cause acute respiratory syndrome, although it is significantly less contagious than viruses such as COVID-19 or measles.

In 2025, eight countries in the WHO Region of the Americas reported 229 cases and 59 deaths, reflecting a case fatality rate of 25.7 percent. In the WHO European Region, 1,885 hantavirus infections were reported in 2023 — equivalent to 0.4 infections per 100,000 people — the lowest rate recorded between 2019 and 2023.

The Andean strain of hantavirus is of particular concern as it is the only known strain capable of documented human-to-human transmission, causing severe pulmonary syndromes with a fatality rate of up to 50 percent. The cases detected aboard the MV Hondius involved the Andean strain.

Initial symptoms of hantavirus infection typically resemble influenza, including fever, headache, muscle pain, and gastrointestinal issues such as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

In severe cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), the illness can rapidly progress to coughing, breathing difficulties, pulmonary oedema, and shock. More advanced stages of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) may involve hypotension, clotting disorders, and kidney failure.

There is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus, making prevention and early detection the most effective measures against the disease.