Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius cruise ship prompts international evacuation and UK isolation protocol

A cruise ship (MV Hondius) operating in the Canary Islands experienced a hantavirus outbreak, prompting coordinated international evacuations. UK-bound passengers were transported via chartered flight to Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral, where 20 British nationals, one German UK resident, and one Japanese passenger entered a 72-hour clinical assessment period. As of reporting, six cases were confirmed globally with three deaths—a Dutch couple and a German national. Additional positive cases were identified among American and French passengers during repatriation. All evacuated passengers were asymptomatic at the time of transport. Public health authorities emphasized that hantavirus transmission requires close contact and poses minimal risk to the general public. Returning passengers must complete 45-day home isolation without using public transport, with daily UKHSA health protection team monitoring.