The World Health Organization (WHO) is looking for the passengers on the flight on which the Dutch woman who died of hantavirus traveled for contact tracing purposes.
The woman left the cruise ship Hondius on the island of Saint Helena after she had fallen ill. She traveled by plane from the island to South Africa. During the flight, her condition deteriorated, the WHO told news agency AFP. She died upon arrival at a hospital in Johannesburg, where she tested positive for hantavirus. Her husband had already died of the virus earlier on the ship.
There were 82 passengers and six crew members on board the flight on April 25. South African authorities have asked airline Airlink to inform passengers that they must contact their health service.
The WHO believes that the hantavirus spread between people on board the cruise ship.
Saint Helena reports that contact tracing is also underway on the island, because sick passengers from the cruise ship came ashore there and may have had contact with the local population. “A small number of people” are advised to “self-isolate as a precaution.”
The administration of the British overseas territory emphasizes that the virus has not been detected on the island and there is no cause for major concern. Over 4,000 people live on the island.
Spain will receive the Dutch cruise ship in the Canary Islands “in accordance with international law and for humanitarian reasons,” the country’s Ministry of Health wrote on X. The Honduis is currently still anchored off Cape Verde. The ship will take three to four days to arrive at the Canary Islands.
Once the ship arrives in the island group, all passengers and crew members will undergo medical examinations. They will then be transferred to their home countries.
“The WHO has explained that Cape Verde is not capable of carrying out this operation,” said the Spanish Ministry. “The Canary Islands are the nearest location with the necessary capacities. Spain has a moral and legal and moral obligation to help these individuals, who include Spanish citizens.”