Hantavirus cruise passengers all test negative as they begin 42-day isolation, says health chief

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]20 British nationals who are trapped on board the cruise ship hit by hand virus are back in the UK. The passengers who landed in Manchester last night are now in isolation at the Arrow Park Hospital on the whirl. Meanwhile, a French traveler has tested positive for Hanta virus with officials saying that her condition is deteriorating as they work to trace who they've come into contact with. While our correspondent Shingi Mariki has the latest from the whirl.

[00:00:26]There are now 20 British nationals selfisolating at this hospital here.

[00:00:30]That's a 72-hour period. If they are found to be asymptomatic at the end of the period, they'll be sent to their homes or other relevant or other appropriate addresses where they'll continue to selfisolate for 42 days. In terms of those who show symptoms as they're being checked over, monitored here, they will then be taken to Royal Victoria Hospital in Liverpool, which is the center in this region for infectious and tropical diseases. Now the hospital at Paynees to show people how they are continuing to maintain the safety of the general public with the people who are selfisolating being kept in separate buildings which used to be the staff quarters and are usually used for staff who are staying on site at the hospital.

[00:01:10]They've also told people that this virus is much less transmissible than CO 19 meaning that the public should not be alarmed. But for those people who were brought here from Tenneref and then to Manchester airport and brought to this hospital, they'll be thinking about the fact that on the first of April they set off for a cruise hoping to see some of the wonders of the world to have a special time and instead they are now selfisolating at this hospital on the whirl.

[00:01:39]>> Well, let's get the latest from the UK Health Security Agency. I'm joined by its chief scientific officer, Professor Robin May. Uh, very good to talk to you, Professor May. So the people that have been brought back to the UK who are now isolating in the world, how long will they have to stay in this facility and and then what happens?

[00:01:55]>> Yes, thanks. Uh so as you've just been hearing, they're based in the facility at Ara Park. Um they're going to be there for about 72 hours and we're obviously a few hours into that already.

[00:02:04]Uh during which time they're being tested quite extensively, as you'd expect for any presence of the virus or any antibodies that may be present to that disease. Um once that's cleared, provided everyone is asymptomatic and virus free, uh we'll be moving them on to appropriate isolation uh locations afterwards. For many of them, we hope that will be their homes, but it depends very much uh where they live and the living circumstances. So, we're looking at each individual person and their circumstances, who they live with, any vulnerabilities, the kind of physical setting of the house, and we'll be deciding and working with them to come up with the most appropriate place for them to isolate for the remaining 42 days after that period. and what precautions are they going to have to take for that 42 days. It's it's a long old time, isn't it?

[00:02:46]>> It is a long time and you know, we're hugely grateful to them for working with us um and very much sympathize with them. Needless to say, we'll be supporting not just their testing over that period of time, but also their emotional needs and indeed many of the practical needs associated with being isolated. Um essentially, we're asking to isolate in a way that's very familiar to many of us from COVID days. Um and so they'll be based for many of them at home probably uh but uh limited contact with other people. um uh for the next 42 days. We may revise that number as we've been saying all the time. This is a virus which we're learning a lot about every day. Um and so we may change that uh period of time over the course of the 42 days, but for the moment we're setting in for that 42 out of a sort of abundance of caution really.

[00:03:28]>> And and on the virus on that strain, the Andy strain, how much more do we need to learn about the virus and its behavior, its transmissibility, uh the potential public health implications of it?

[00:03:40]Yes, I think there are sort of three areas in particular that's really important. We we need to learn more about the actual biology of the virus and key for this strain in particular is understanding why it is that this strain apparently can transmit human to human whereas other strains of anttovirus do not. So that's kind of a high priority.

[00:03:56]Secondly, there's obviously the therapeutic and prevention angle. We already had some uh quite extensive work underway into things like vaccine development. uh that's not yet anywhere near the clinic but I think we need to really work hard on that and to work out for example whether existing antivirals might be effective against this uh disease and then the third part I think is understanding the epidemiology both of this outbreak itself so where might these passengers have acquired the virus from how did it spread on the boat if it didn't it did um but also more broadly to understand more about this as an organism that is clearly one that is of concern particularly for people in South America where it's endemic >> so it's fair to say that there's there's a significant amount about this virus that we really still don't understand.

[00:04:39]>> Yeah. So, it's a virus that we have known exists for quite a long time. The but the amount of uh disease we see fortunately is relatively low. Um and because it is typically not in uh you know areas like the UK for example, there's not been a huge amount of work.

[00:04:53]We as an agency have been working on it for some years because of its very high virolence um as have similar sister organizations in the US and Europe for example. Um but as you can imagine working on a virus that is actually really quite dangerous is quite difficult and slow. Um and and so uh I think this will reemphasize our efforts and those of others around the world to kind of really understand much more about this disease.

[00:05:16]>> So is research now being speeded up is is more more now happening.

[00:05:20]>> I think there is more underway uh with us and with many others and also I think what's very important here is the kind of coordination effort. This is really and particularly with WHO's leadership has really helped us to coordinate internationally and of course uh you know in in one ironically one uh advantage in some ways of these kind of outbreaks is that we understand a lot more about the virus you know clearly no one would have wished this to happen but because we are in the circumstance where we have it uh we are hoping to learn a lot and I have to say again very very grateful to those people affected on board uh both for their willingness to work with us and their uh you know willingness to engage with research that we will need to do going forwards. um they are a really really critical part of us understanding more about this virus and hopefully preventing similar outbreaks in the future.

[00:06:04]>> And back to the Brits who've come back now to to the UK, how are they all doing?

[00:06:09]>> Yes, so happily they are all asymptomatic and all tests are negative so far. So that is very encouraging. Um we're going to continue to support them very closely as you can imagine. Uh for them, you know, an exhausting and emotionally very draining period.

[00:06:23]They're going to need a lot of support and uh the good wishes of all of us I think over the coming days. Uh but yes, happy to say medically they are all looking well at the moment.

[00:06:31]>> And how long will it be until they know that they are not at risk? Is that is that as simple as the 42 days?

[00:06:37]>> Yeah. So the total 45day periods of the 72 hours and the 40 days afterwards is based on the kind of most extreme example we know of. So that is the we believe the maximum period for which the virus can be kind of hiding and then reemerge. And as we as I say, we're doing a lot of work that might actually change that period going forwards. But that's the maximum. You know, clearly every day that goes past uh when they remain symptom free and a virus free is another encouraging step in the right direction, but it will be quite some time until they and we are able to say definitively that the risk is over.

[00:07:09]>> And if they are all going home to different parts of the UK, how will that isolation be enforced?

[00:07:17]So uh they will as I said earlier their particular circumstances of isolating will depend very much on where they live who they live with and so we're working with each of them to come up with the best possible arrangement. For some of them that will be their own homes. For some of them it may well not be their own home. Um either because it's not suitable or perhaps out of choice that it's not the right place for them to be based. Um once they're there we're going to be working very closely with them.

[00:07:39]will be visiting them regularly for samples um for ongoing testing but also very much supporting them both uh medically and emotionally going forwards. Um they have been absolutely superb so far in working with us and I can't you know credit them enough with that very team the kind of team effort they're doing under very trying circumstances. Um and and I'm sure they'll continue to do so for the next 42 days.

[00:08:01]>> And briefly, how concerned should the rest of the population be?

[00:08:06]>> Yes, not is the short answer. Um, so if you're not directly associated with the cruise, you're not someone that we've contacted already because you were, for example, next to a passenger who was affected on a flight, um, then you really have no need to worry. This is not a virus that transmits easily between people. It's not like COVID or flu. Uh, so not a cause for concern if you're not directly associated with the outbreak.

[00:08:25]>> Professor Robin May, the chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency. Thank you very much.

[00:08:30]>> Thank you.