The World Health Organization confirmed Tuesday, May 5 that it is tracing individuals who were on an April 25 flight between Saint Helena and Johannesburg after a cruise ship passenger died from hantavirus.
The Dutch woman, whose husband had previously died from the virus aboard the vessel, fell ill during the flight and passed away shortly after arriving at a Johannesburg hospital on April 26.
“Contact tracing for passengers on the flight has been initiated,” the WHO stated, after tests on May 4 returned positive for the virus. The South African-based carrier Airlink reported that 82 passengers and six crew members were on the nearly five-hour flight.
The MV Hondius is currently at the center of a mounting international crisis, anchored off the coast of Cape Verde.
The vessel has been barred from docking by local authorities as health officials scramble to manage the outbreak. Three passengers have died so far—the Dutch couple and a German passenger, while there are currently two confirmed and five suspected cases among those remaining.
Two seriously ill crew members are scheduled to be evacuated via Cape Verde to the Netherlands, which will then allow the ship to continue toward Spain’s Canary Islands.
While hantavirus is typically spread from infected rodents through contact with urine, droppings, or saliva, the WHO expressed concern that the virus may have spread between people on this specific vessel. In Saint Helena, where the deceased woman had come ashore before her flight, the government has moved to isolate a small number of residents.
“A small number of people who travelled to St Helena on the MV Hondius or had very close contact with those who were showing symptoms, are being advised by Public Health to undertake a period of self-isolation as a precaution,” the British overseas territory’s government said.
Authorities on the island emphasized that no cases have been identified locally yet and asked the community to remain calm while the full risk-based contact tracing process continues.