Medic with rat virus symptoms is being treated in London hospital - with nine other Brits set to land back in the UK tonight

Published: 00:49, 18 May 2026 | Updated: 00:50, 18 May 2026 A medic with hantavirus symptoms is being treated in a London hospital as nine people connected to a rat virus-stricken cruise ship were set to arrive in the UK. The medic was taken to the High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit in Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust on Saturday after developing hantavirus symptoms on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. It came as nine Britons from St Helena and Ascension Island, who may have been exposed to hantavirus but do not have symptoms, were scheduled to arrive in the UK on Sunday evening, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. All nine were on board the MV Hondius cruise ship, which has been at the centre of an international health scare after a hantavirus outbreak which has killed three people. They will self-isolate in the UK before being taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, which previously housed MV Hondius passengers. The medic was brought to the UK for a 'specialist assessment' after developing hantavirus symptoms in what the UKHSA called a 'highly precautionary measure'. Because there is no specialist infectious diseases unit on Ascension Island, the UKHSA brought the medic to the UK so they could receive the 'best possible support' if they became unwell. 'The individual will undergo further testing and assessment at the unit,' the agency added. The MV Hondius cruise ship, which has been at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak, pictured near Tenerife, Spain Dr Meera Chand, the agency's deputy director, said: '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 left Arrowe Park Hospital to complete their 45-day isolation period at home, after a clinical and public health assessment deemed it safe. A further six people returned home from the hospital to continue their self-isolation on Thursday last week. Three members of the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team have been sent to St Helena after a request from the island's government. Two microbiologists will help with PCR testing for hantavirus and test to exclude other illnesses, the UKHSA said. An infection prevention and control expert, who will work with Jamestown General Hospital to prepare and respond to any potential cases, has also been dispatched. The trio will spend eight weeks on the island. At least 11 hantavirus cases have been reported on the MV Hondius, with three deaths. Public Health Scotland warned on Thursday that some Scots had potentially had contact with the virus and said it was working to get in touch with 'a small number of individuals' who could be affected. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.