The St Helena Government (SHG) continues to work closely with international health partners to manage the response to the Andes hantavirus situation involving the expedition vessel MV Hondius.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially taken the lead in coordinating the global response, including the tracking and tracing of any further cases across international borders.
There are St Helenians overseas, who were passengers on the outbound flight from St Helena on 25 April, who have been contacted by international partners as part of this tracing process. SHG is working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the WHO to share and monitor all health data. All of those who have subsequently returned to St Helena have been contacted directly by our team on island.
In St Helena, the Health and Social Care Portfolio (HSC) confirms:
- There are currently no suspected or confirmed cases of hantavirus on the Island.
- The risk to the general public remains low. The Andes hantavirus is not known to spread through passing or casual social contact such as in shops, schools, or workplaces.
- There is no risk to the public from the deceased passenger who passed away on board the MV Hondius on the 11 April 2026. All handling procedures to retrieve the body on 23 April 2026, and store it locally prior to repatriation, met high safety standards to protect both staff and the community.
Ongoing Precautions
As a precautionary measure, the HSC continues to monitor a small number of individuals identified as “higher risk” contacts (those who had close, prolonged contact with the unwell passengers of the vessel). These individuals remain in good health and are receiving daily check-ins from medical professionals.
Written guidance has been issued to higher risk contacts currently being advised to isolate at home. This includes the required period of isolation which, in consultation with experts at the UK Health Security Agency, has been set as 45 days from the last known exposure to the virus. This means that the period of isolation will end on 9 June subject to any developments in the situation in St Helena.
The Hantavirus Screening Telephone Line (25949) remains active. Anyone who boarded the vessel or had close contact with its passengers and subsequently develops symptoms of hantavirus such as fever, muscle aches, breathing difficulties or gastrointestinal problems (nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhoea) is advised to call this number for guidance. They should not attend the hospital in person.
Whilst the international nature of this incident requires a coordinated global response, the situation on St Helena remains stable and controlled. We ask the public to remain calm and to respect the privacy of those affected by this incident.
Updates will be provided daily from 18:00 to 21:00 until further notice.
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