Health officials are in a race against time to locate about 40 passengers who may have been exposed to a deadly hantavirus outbreak after disembarking from a cruise ship.
The cruise line, Oceanwide Expeditions, reported that 29 passengers left the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius on April 24. However, estimates from Dutch authorities suggest that the actual number might be closer to 40.
These passengers belong to at least a dozen different nationalities and have traveled back to locations across Europe and Africa, making it challenging for officials to track them down. Two individuals’ nationalities are still unknown.
So far, one case has been confirmed among the returning passengers. A person who arrived in Switzerland tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare form that can transmit between humans through close contact.
The outbreak has resulted in at least three fatalities and has affected several more individuals while on board.
Among the deceased was a Dutch man who passed away on April 11. His remains were taken off the ship upon its arrival at St. Helena, while his wife later traveled to South Africa, collapsing and dying at Johannesburg airport.
Argentine authorities indicated that the couple might have been exposed prior to boarding, potentially due to contact with infected rodents during a bird-watching tour at a landfill in Ushuaia.
Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with contaminated rodent droppings, often through inhalation of infected particles. The World Health Organization notes that while human-to-human transmission is rare, it is possible with the Andes strain.
As conditions deteriorated on board, further medical evacuations took place. One British passenger was flown to South Africa from Ascension Island, while three others, including the ship’s doctor, were airlifted to Europe as the vessel drifted near Cape Verde.
Health officials in South Africa and throughout Europe are now focused on retracing the travel paths of exposed passengers to identify anyone who may have been in contact with the virus.
