Ten people linked to rat virus cruise ship outbreak to isolate in the UK
It comes after all passengers disembarked the ship, which is expected to arrive in the Netherlands by May 17
Ten people linked to the cruise ship hit by deadly hantavirus are set to arrive in the UK to self isolate.
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The group, from the UK overseas territories of St Helena and Ascension Island, had contact with people affected by the rat virus outbreak and will be relocated to British soil.
Authorities said the group are already isolating and will continue to do so once they arrive in Britain.
The UK Health Security Agency confirmed the ten are being brought to the UK as a precautionary measure so they can be provided with NHS care if they fall ill.
Read more: Rat virus cruise passengers were ‘facing mental breakdown’, says WHO chief
A spokesperson said on Tuesday evening: "Over the coming days, the UKHSA will also support relocation of some contacts who are already isolating to places where they can safely self-isolate with access to appropriate specialist medical services.
"This includes 10 people from the UK Overseas Territories of Saint Helena and Ascension Island who will be brought to the UK to complete their self-isolation as a precautionary measure.
"This is because England’s NHS high consequence infectious disease network is well equipped to respond if they become unwell.
"Currently none of these contacts are symptomatic and this is precautionary to support communities in UK overseas territories. We will set out where they will isolate in due course."
The organisation said experts have assed each passengers circumstances and "tailored support packages: will be proved to enable them to isolate at home.
Three people have died linked to the outbreak on the MV Hondius, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.
Two of the victims have been named as Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord, 70, and his wife, Mirjam Schilperoord, 69.
The outbreak struck down Mr Schilperoord on April 11, before his grieving wife died a few days later.
Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Officer at UKHSA, added: "We are grateful to the passengers for their cooperation and patience in what we appreciate has been a very unsettling period for all involved.
"As this first assessment period concludes, our priority remains to ensure everyone is safe and well supported, wherever they complete their isolation.
"Our teams will continue to be there for all of the affected individuals every step of the way.
"We would ask the media and the public to respect the privacy of the passengers and their families at what has been a very difficult and distressing time for everyone involved."
Earleir today, two planes carrying 28 passengers from the ship landed in the Netherlands, as a Dutch hospital treating a patient with the rat-virus has quarantined 12 staffers as a preventative measure.
Dutch hospital staff members were placed into preventive quarantine for six weeks after blood and urine were handled without updated and more strict protocols, the Radboudumc hospital in the city of Nijmegen said, adding that the infection risk is very low and patient care continues uninterrupted.