May 13, 2026

expert reaction to latest hantavirus update from the UKHSA, including that six individuals from Arrowe Park are returning home or to other accommodation to complete their 45 day isolation period

Scientists comment on the latest hantavirus update from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on individuals returning home to complete their 45 day isolation period. 

Prof Michael Marks, NIHR Research Professor, and an Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said:

“We know that hantaviruses can have a long incubation of up to 40 days.  It is reassuring that the passengers have remained well and have tested negative at this time but they remain within the incubation period and will need ongoing monitoring.  Given the long incubation period it remains possible that there may be more cases reported amongst passengers either in the UK or elsewhere in the world.  However, now these individuals are isolating and being managed appropriately the risk of onward transmission from future cases should be very low.

“There may be individuals who are well and have tested negative but whose living situation doesn’t make home isolation possible and these individuals will need to continue to isolate in a hospital or similar setting.  UKHSA will have conducted a comprehensive risk assessment for each patient before deciding if they are able to isolate at home.  This will have included considering the particular circumstances of each individual and their ability to isolate from others in the area and within the house itself and without increasing the risk either to themselves or the public.”

Dr Giulia Gallo, Postdoctoral Scientist in the Viral Glycoproteins Group, The Pirbright Institute, said:

Does the fact that some former cruise passengers are leaving Arrowe Park to head elsewhere to continue their isolation change the level of risk to the UK public?

“No, the passengers are still expected to quarantine and are not allowed contact with the rest of the community for the next few weeks.  This ensure that the risk for the UK public remains low.

Is it good news these former passengers have so far continued to be asymptomatic and testing negative; or is it too early yet for this to be good news?

“It is encouraging to see that no other person, among the passengers in quarantine, has developed symptoms.  We still need to be vigilant, as they might show signs of infection in the coming weeks, but for now what we are observing is reassuring.

Is it surprising / worrying that a medic on Ascension island has developed symptoms?  How soon could we know whether they have hantavirus?

“The situation requires attentive monitoring.  The fact that the potential case was detected and flagged allows for the best treatment and measure to be put in place to protect them, and the rest of the population.  If a sample has been obtained and analysis is prioritised, we should have an answer by the end of tomorrow.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-update-on-the-hantavirus-cruise-ship-outbreak

All our previous output on this hantavirus cluster can be seen at these links:

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-media-reports-that-a-french-and-an-american-mv-hondius-passenger-have-developed-symptoms-and-or-tested-positive-for-hantavirus-since-being-transported-back-to-their-home-countries/;

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-current-hantavirus-situation-as-passengers-on-the-mv-hondius-are-taken-off-in-stages-and-taken-onwards-to-their-countries-of-origin/;

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-first-complete-sequence-of-the-hantavirus-from-the-current-cluster-from-mv-hondius-from-the-swiss-patient-with-confirmed-andes-strain-uploaded-to-the-virological-org-platform-by-t/;

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-statement-from-the-ukhsa-dhsc-and-fcdo-re-hantavirus-including-transport-arrangements-and-isolation-for-british-passengers-and-crew-aboard-the-mv-hondius/;

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-hantavirus-update-from-the-ukhsa-including-that-two-people-had-returned-to-the-uk-having-been-on-board-the-mv-hondius-are-not-currently-reporting-symptoms-and-are-self-isolating/;

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-continuing-hantavirus-situation-aboard-cruise-ship/;

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-hantavirus-situation-on-cruise-ship-heading-from-argentina-to-cape-verde/

Declared interests

Prof Michael Marks: “No conflict of interest.”

Dr Giulia Gallo: “I have no conflict of interest.”