Health authorities worldwide race tracing passengers following deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard stranded Antarctic cruise vessel
Amsterdam
Countries around the world have launched urgent efforts to trace passengers who left the cruise ship MV Hondius after a deadly hantavirus outbreak onboard claimed three lives and raised fears of further international spread of the disease.
The outbreak occurred aboard the expedition cruise vessel MV Hondius, which later became stranded off the coast of Cape Verde. According to the World Health Organization, three people a Dutch couple and a German national died following the outbreak. Eight additional passengers, including a Swiss citizen, are suspected to have contracted the virus.
Health officials are now attempting to locate several passengers whose whereabouts remain unknown after they disembarked from the vessel in different countries. Authorities fear that infected travellers may unknowingly spread the disease further if not identified and isolated quickly.
Among the passengers who left the ship was the wife of a Dutch man who died onboard on April 11. Reports stated that the woman later became seriously ill herself and died before she could return to the Netherlands.
Dutch airline KLM Royal Dutch Airlines confirmed on Wednesday that the woman had been removed from a flight in Johannesburg on April 25 after her medical condition rapidly worsened during travel.
According to Dutch broadcaster RTL, a KLM flight attendant who reportedly came into contact with the passenger has now been admitted to a hospital in Amsterdam after showing possible symptoms associated with hantavirus infection.
The Dutch health ministry confirmed that a Dutch woman has been hospitalised and will undergo testing to determine whether she contracted the virus. However, officials did not publicly identify her profession or disclose details regarding possible contacts, citing privacy considerations.
A spokesperson for KLM stated that the airline could not comment on individual medical cases due to confidentiality policies.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly disease generally spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings. Symptoms can initially resemble flu-like illness but may rapidly progress to severe respiratory complications.
The incident has prompted international concern as health authorities coordinate cross-border tracing operations to identify passengers, airline staff, and others who may have been exposed during the cruise or subsequent travel journeys.
