Britain to bring 10 people to U.K. for precautionary isolation after hantavirus outbreak

Des passagers embarquent à bord d'un avion après avoir débarqué du navire de croisière MV Hondius, à l'aéroport de Tenerife, dans les îles Canaries, en Espagne, le lundi 11 mai 2026. (Photo AP/Arturo Rodriguez)

Britain said on Tuesday that 10 people from remote island territories, including cruise ship passengers and medical staff who had contact with confirmed cases in the hantavirus outbreak, will be brought to the UK for precautionary isolation.

The UK Health Security Agency said the individuals were already isolating and not showing symptoms. The move was intended as a precaution, it said.

All 10 people are British nationals.

The outbreak has been linked to the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which traveled through the South Atlantic and stopped at several places. The 10 people being transferred to Britain are from the overseas territories of Saint Helena island and Ascension Island.

According to the cruise company’s website, 32 guests and one crew member disembarked from the vessel at Saint Helena and two guests had a medical evacuation via Ascension Island.

The governor of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha said in a statement on Monday that resident medical staff on Ascension Island who had treated a confirmed case were being relocated to Britain as a precaution, with replacement clinicians flown in to maintain healthcare on the island.

On Saint Helena, Governor Nigel Phillips said a small number of people who had traveled on the cruise ship were assessed as higher-risk contacts. While the likelihood of illness remained low, UKHSA advised they should also be moved to Britain to complete their self-isolation.

The British government did not immediately respond to a request for comment for further details.

The health agency added that the risk to the wider public remained low and said it would continue contact tracing and monitoring of people linked to the ship.