Two Brits who returned from the MV Hondius are already in self-isolation – and the rest of the passengers on board the cruise liner will be repatriated in the coming days
British holidaymakers caught up in the deadly ‘rat virus’ outbreak on a luxury cruise ship could face a gruelling 45-day isolation period when they finally touch down on UK soil. The extreme measures come as health chiefs scramble to contain a rare strain of hantavirus that has already claimed three lives aboard the MV Hondius.
The ship, which was traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde, became a floating nightmare after the virus, often spread by infected rodents, began to rip through the vessel.
Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), revealed that the incubation period for the “Andean strain” is so long that passengers may have to isolate for more than a month.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Prof May said: “The most extreme case of incubation may be up to eight weeks, but general consensus is people need to isolate for probably six weeks, and so that’s the period of isolation, 45 days that we’re likely to be recommending.”
He added that while the risk to the general public is “negligible,” those on board are being fast-tracked home.
He said: “The Foreign Office is leading on that, and once they’re back, they’re going to be asked to self-isolate.
“We’ll continue to support them and their families whilst they self isolate, probably at home, but obviously depends very much on the individual circumstances… as to what the most appropriate mechanism is for them to self-isolate for the next 45 days.”
The drama intensified as it emerged two Brits had already slipped back into the UK via Johannesburg after disembarking at St Helena. While they are not showing symptoms, they are voluntarily isolating.
Health officials are now playing a game of “track and trace” for anyone who sat near them on their long-haul flight.
However, Prof May offered some reassurance. He said: “Hantavirus is actually not that easy to transmit between individuals so a quick pass in an airport, for example, is not going to put you at risk.
“We focus our attention on people who might, for example, have been sat next to a passenger for a long time, several hours on the flight. Those are the people that we’re contacting.”
Among those evacuated is British crew member Martin Anstee, 56. The former police officer and expedition guide was airlifted to the Netherlands for specialist care.
Speaking from his hospital bed, he told Sky News: “I’m doing OK. I’m not feeling too bad. There are still lots of tests to be done. I have no idea how long I’ll be in the hospital for. I’m in isolation at the moment.”
His wife, Nicola, told the Telegraph the ordeal has been “traumatic”. She said: “He’s relieved to be off the ship. He had it quite mild then it got a bit more serious and now he’s stable again. The fear with this virus is it can deteriorate very quickly so it’s been a bit up and down for him.”
The source of the outbreak is believed to be a birdwatching trip in Ushuaia, Argentina. Officials suspect a Dutch couple visited a rubbish dump during the excursion, where they may have come into contact with infected rodent droppings.
Around 150 people remain trapped in their cabins on the MV Hondius as the ship prepares to dock in Tenerife, where a Foreign Office charter flight is waiting to whisk the remaining Brits home.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the government is “working urgently” to get citizens back safely, while Health Secretary Wes Streeting admitted the outbreak “will be worrying many.”
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