A Dutch cruise ship at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak anchored on Sunday near Granadilla port, south-east Tenerife, Spain, allowing dozens of passengers from various countries to begin their journeys home.
The MV Hondius departed Argentina on 1 April with 175 passengers and crew on board, according to the operator, Oceanwide Expeditions.
Thirty-two passengers disembarked when the ship stopped at the island of St Helena on 24 April.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the first hantavirus case on 4 May.
Three passengers—a Dutch couple and a German woman—died after travelling on the ship, with two confirmed to have had the virus. The WHO has reported nine cases in total, seven confirmed and two suspected.
United Kingdom
Twenty British nationals, one German national residing in the UK, and one Japanese passenger arrived at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, north-west England late on Sunday.
They will remain hospitalized for 72 hours for medical checks and regular testing before returning home, where they must self-isolate for an additional 42 days.
The group was transported to Manchester Airport on a chartered flight, with the UK's Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stating that "strict infection control measures" were implemented throughout the journey.
Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said none of the passengers were symptomatic, but they will be monitored closely "as part of a precautionary isolation period".
"With no cases or symptoms among them and our stringent monitoring and isolation measures, the risk to the public remains extremely low," she added.
A total of 31 British nationals, including passengers and crew, embarked on the cruise. Some disembarked before the first confirmed hantavirus case was reported on 4 May.
United States
Eighteen American passengers have returned to the US.
Sixteen are undergoing screening at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, and two are in Atlanta.
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), one individual has tested positive and another is exhibiting symptoms.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) document advises self-isolation and monitoring for 42 days, with daily temperature checks during this period.
Netherlands
The European Union's guidance aligns with the UK's, recommending citizens returning to member nations "undergo medical triage by trained healthcare professionals."
They should self-isolate and monitor symptoms for six weeks, seeking immediate medical attention if symptoms develop, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Dutch nationals who disembarked the MV Hondius on Sunday were flown to Eindhoven and are currently completing their quarantine period.
They were transported directly to their homes by van, with the government stating that those in isolation will be contacted daily by health officials "to ensure that any symptoms are identified and appropriate care can be provided promptly."
Thirteen Dutch nationals—eight passengers and five crew members—were on board when the ship docked in Tenerife.
Spain
Fourteen Spanish nationals flown from Tenerife to Madrid are undergoing mandatory quarantine at a military hospital in the capital.
Residents of Tenerife and the Canary Islands expressed concern about the cruise's stopover. However, WHO officials emphasized the low risk of wider contagion "because of how the virus works."
The ship has not docked directly in Tenerife; it remains anchored offshore, with passengers ferried to Granadilla port, distant from residential areas.
France
France confirmed its first hantavirus case after a French national developed symptoms while travelling on a chartered flight from Tenerife to Paris.
French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist stated the woman is isolating in Paris and her health is deteriorating, with 22 contact cases traced.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said over the weekend that all five French citizens returning from Spain would be "immediately placed in strict isolation until further notice."
Germany
German health authorities reported on Monday that four individuals arrived overnight and are being monitored in an isolation unit at Frankfurt University Hospital.
The federal health ministry indicated all four, currently asymptomatic, were being transferred to their homes in Berlin, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, and Schleswig-Holstein.
They will be "continuously and closely monitored for symptoms," the ministry added.
Local health authorities will determine specific measures to be implemented.
Switzerland
A Swiss national who disembarked in Saint Helena has tested positive for hantavirus after returning home.
The individual is receiving medical care, while his wife, who travelled with him, remains asymptomatic but is self-isolating as a precaution.
The Federal Office of Public Health stated the public risk in Switzerland remains low.
Investigations continue into the outbreak's origin and whether it began in Argentina, where the ship commenced its journey.
The WHO previously noted the first two cases had "travelled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip which included visits to sites where the species of rat known to carry the virus was present."
Some Argentinian officials consider this their leading hypothesis, though no confirmation has been made.
The Andes strain of hantavirus, responsible for this outbreak, is primarily found in Argentina and Chile.
Philippines
The MV Hondius crew includes 38 individuals from the Philippines.
Currently, no hantavirus cases have been recorded in the Philippines, with officials stating the risk remains "extremely low."
