When the authorities are aware but don’t warn the public about 30 passengers disembarked early in st Helena in late April at the same time when the first hantavirus victims body with his already sick wife who died a few days later at the airport is not discussed. In addition

At least 7 US citizens among the ~30 early disembarkation passengers who left the MV Hondius at St. Helena on April 24 are at home after at least 2 weeks between April 24-may 7 of non containment.

A few of them had tested positive are not contained like the other 18 🇺🇸passengers in Atlanta and Nebraska.

California’s Department of Public Health is also said to be monitoring an unspecified number of residents, bringing the total of passengers back in the U.S. to at least seven

~30 passengers (including the body of one deceased) disembarked early at St. Helena on April 24, 2026, from 12 countries

Confirmed nationalities among early disembarkers (approximate breakdown where reported):

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

7 (four remain on St. Helena under local monitoring; others returned home).

🇺🇸 7 (returned to the US; monitored in states like California, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, Arizona).

Netherlands 🇳🇱

Several (including the widow of the first deceased passenger, who later died in South Africa).

Others from: Canada, 🇨🇦 Denmark 🇩🇰 , Germany 🇩🇪 , New Zealand 🇳🇿 , Saint Kitts and Nevis 🇰🇳 , Singapore 🇸🇬 Sweden 🇸🇪 , Switzerland,🇨🇭 Turkey 🇹🇷 .

Additional mentions in passenger accounts include Australia 🇦🇺 and Taiwan 🇹🇼 (possibly among the group or slight variations in totals reported as ~23–32).

Current status and locations: These passengers left before the hantavirus outbreak was widely confirmed, so they returned independently to their home countries. They are not in centralized containment facilities but are subject to:

• Contact tracing and public health monitoring** (typically home/self-isolation with daily symptom checks for up to ~42 days post-exposure, per WHO/CDC guidance).
• At least 12 countries are actively tracking them: the ones listed above.

UK 🇬🇧

Some self-isolating at home; four still on St. Helena (monitored locally); suspected cases reported.

Switzerland 🇨🇭

At least one positive case (man) in hospital isolation in Zurich.

US 🇺🇸

Home/state monitoring; low/no symptoms reported in most early updates (some linked cases positive and under care).

Other countries (e.g., Canada, Netherlands, Germany, etc.):

Similar monitoring/isolation protocols by national or local health authorities; some positives reported and treated in isolation where symptomatic.

St. Helena

Local authorities monitor any remaining higher-risk contacts; no major local outbreak reported.

Some early disembarkers or close contacts have tested positive and received medical care

Among the ~30 early disembarkation passengers (who left at St. Helena on April 24, 2026), at least 2 confirmed positive cases are directly linked to this group so far, with others among the broader early contacts or secondary exposures.

Confirmed positives from early disembarkers:

• Swiss man (disembarked St. Helena, flew home via South Africa/Qatar): Tested PCR-positive for Andes hantavirus on May 5; hospitalized and in isolation in Zurich. He developed symptoms around May 1.
• The Dutch woman (widow of the first deceased passenger) disembarked at St. Helena with gastrointestinal symptoms on April 24 and died in Johannesburg on April 26; later confirmed positive. She is often counted with the early group.

Additional positives have been reported among passengers who left the ship earlier (e.g., at Tristan da Cunha) or had close contacts/flights with the above, but totals for strictly the April 24 St. Helena cohort remain limited in public reports. Overall outbreak: ~6–7 confirmed Andes hantavirus cases (plus probable/suspected), with 3 deaths as of recent WHO updates around May 8–11.

Symptoms:

Typical hantavirus (Andes strain) symptoms

Start flu-like (fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, gastrointestinal issues like nausea/diarrhea). Can progress to severe respiratory distress (hantavirus pulmonary syndrome), low blood pressure, and fluid in lungs. Incubation is usually 1–6 weeks (up to 8).

• In the early group cases: Gastrointestinal symptoms (Dutch woman), then respiratory/malaise leading to hospitalization (Swiss man). Some monitored individuals (e.g., UK, Canada, US early returnees) are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms under home isolation.

Most early disembarkers are under self-monitoring/home isolation with contact tracing (no widespread symptoms reported among the full group). Testing is targeted for those with symptoms due to the incubation window. New cases could still emerge. Public risk remains low per WHO/CDC due to limited person-to-person transmission.

The situation is evolving—check official sources like WHO or national health agencies for the latest.

Status of these US citizens

They have returned to the US and are NOT in centralized containment/quarantine facilities (unlike many of the later Tenerife evacuees sent to Nebraska’s biocontainment unit or other specialized centers) They are under state-level public health monitoring (self-isolation at home with daily symptom checks, follow-up by local health departments) in at least 5 states: California, Georgia (2), Texas (2), Virginia, and Arizona (1+).

Protocols suggest 42-day active monitoring per WHO/CDC guidance rather than mandatory facility quarantine taking you all into mid June.

One or more US citizens linked to the ship (possibly from the early group or broader contacts) have tested positive for the Andes hantavirus strain after returning home; they are receiving medical care/isolation as needed.

the 18 Americans during the main Tenerife evacuation (May 10–11) received more structured repatriation with testing, escorted transport, and directed monitoring/quarantine at facilities like the University of Nebraska Medical Center.