Public Health Wales said on Wednesday that a small number of Welsh residents have been linked to the hantavirus outbreak that began on a Dutch cruise ship sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde. The residents affected were either on board the MV Hondius or had contact with people who were on board, but the agency said they are not showing symptoms and are well.

The health body said it is supporting the group and that they will receive regular precautionary testing and a daily assessment for the duration of their self-isolation. It added that the residents will be monitored while they complete the 45-day isolation period, and said those involved should take appropriate action if their situation changes.

The outbreak on the MV Hondius led to three deaths during the voyage and prompted six people to be evacuated to the UK. By Wednesday, those six evacuees had already spent 72 hours isolated at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, and had tested negative for the virus before being allowed to return home or to suitable accommodation to finish isolation.

Prof Isabel Oliver, speaking for the health response, said her thoughts and condolences were with the passengers and families affected. She also said the work involved robust measures and ongoing assessment and monitoring. Public Health Wales said it was working with the Welsh Government, the UK Health Security Agency, Welsh health boards and local authorities.

There are currently no known cases of hantavirus in Wales, and Public Health Wales said the risk to the general public is very low. It also stressed that hantavirus is not spread through everyday social contact such as going to public spaces, shops, workplaces or schools. In rare instances where it has passed between people, the contact was close and prolonged.

Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried by rodents and can be found in parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. Most types do not pass from person to person. Human transmission has been documented only rarely, including with the Andes virus strain, and the head of the UN health agency previously said there was no sign of a larger outbreak.

For Wales, the question is not whether the outbreak reached the country through ordinary community spread. Public Health Wales has answered that already: it has not, and the residents linked to the ship are being watched as a precaution while health officials look for any change in the situation.