Hantavirus: Medic with rat virus symptoms treated in UK hospital as 9 more linked to infected cruise to arrive

A healthcare worker from Ascension Island was flown to the UK for a “specialist assessment” after showing hantavirus symptoms, while nine Britons with potential exposure from the MV Hondius cruise ship are due to arrive in the UK on Sunday

A healthcare worker exhibiting symptoms of hantavirus from a remote British overseas territory is currently being treated at a London hospital, while nine individuals linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak are set to arrive in the UK.

A party of nine Britons from St Helena and Ascension Island, who may have been exposed to hantavirus but are asymptomatic, are expected to land in the UK on Sunday evening, as confirmed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), reports the Mirror.

This development comes after a healthcare professional from Ascension Island was admitted to the High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust on Saturday. The medical worker was airlifted to the UK for a “specialist assessment” after displaying symptoms, an action described as a “highly precautionary measure” by the UKHSA.

“As there is no specialist infectious diseases unit on Ascension Island, the decision was made to bring them to the UK to ensure they receive the best possible support at a HCID unit should they become unwell,” stated the UKHSA in a Saturday update. The individual will undergo further testing and evaluation at the unit.”

The group due to arrive on Sunday will complete their self-isolation in the UK, with the NHS’s High Consequence Infectious Diseases network on standby should they fall ill, the UKHSA confirmed.

The individuals will be taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, the same establishment that housed passengers from the MV Hondius. Dr Meera Chand, deputy director at the UKHSA, stated: “UKHSA will continue to work with our partners locally, nationally and internationally to ensure everyone has the necessary support in place.”

“We are undertaking 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.”

On Saturday, one person was released from Arrowe Park Hospital to complete their 45-day isolation period at home, following a clinical and public health assessment that confirmed it was safe to do so, the UKHSA confirmed.

An additional six individuals were discharged from the hospital last Thursday to continue their self-isolation at home. Both those isolating at home and those remaining in hospital are under close observation, it added.

On Friday evening, the UKHSA announced that three members of the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) had been sent to the UK overseas territories in the South Atlantic in response to a request for help from the island’s government.

The team on the ground includes two microbiologists, Clara Milroy and Kimberley Steeds, who will aid with PCR testing for hantavirus and also support tests to rule out other conditions, as per the UKHSA’s website. They are joined by infection prevention and control specialist Anthony Twyman, who will help Jamestown General Hospital prepare for and manage any potential cases through assessments and training.

The agency has confirmed that this trio will stay on the island for the coming eight weeks.

The outbreak on the cruise ship has led to at least 11 reported cases among passengers, three of which have been fatal. Public Health Scotland issued a warning on Thursday that a handful of people in Scotland may have potentially been exposed to the virus, adding that it was in the process of contacting “a small number of individuals” who could be impacted.