Passengers from hantavirus outbreak ship leave NHS hospital

MV Hondius. Credit: BBC

By Erin Dean

Passengers from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship have started leaving the NHS hospital where they were isolating and returning home, health officials have said.

Twenty British nationals along with a German national, who is a UK resident, and a Japanese passenger were being monitored at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral after leaving the MV Hondius.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that six individuals are returning home or to other suitable accommodation to complete their 45-day isolation period.

The outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship is linked to three deaths, two of whom were confirmed to have the virus.

There have been 11 cases of hantavirus in the outbreak, with eight confirmed, one inconclusive and two probable cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

On Tuesday morning, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "our work is not over" to contain the rodent-borne virus.

He said, "there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak" but added that "given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks".