The World Health Organization has launched contact tracing efforts involving passengers on a flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg after a cruise ship passenger who later died of hantavirus travelled on board.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the WHO confirmed that 82 passengers and six crew members were on the April 25 flight operated by Airlink. Among them was a Dutch woman whose condition deteriorated during the journey. She had disembarked from a cruise ship in Saint Helena a day earlier with gastrointestinal symptoms.
According to the WHO, the woman died shortly after arriving at a Johannesburg hospital’s emergency department on April 26. Laboratory tests conducted on May 4 later confirmed hantavirus infection.
Health authorities have since initiated contact tracing for all passengers on the flight. South African officials have instructed Airlink to notify those on board to urgently contact the health department for further screening and guidance.
The WHO indicated there are concerns the virus may have spread among passengers aboard the cruise vessel, identified as the MV Hondius, which was anchored off Cape Verde at the time of reporting. In addition to the Dutch passenger, her husband and a German traveller have also died. Authorities have confirmed two cases and are investigating five more suspected infections.
Meanwhile, officials in Saint Helena a remote island with a population of about 4,400, said some cruise passengers had gone ashore prior to the flight. A small number of residents are now being advised to self-isolate as a precaution.
The island’s government said two passengers with mild symptoms may have had limited contact with locals. However, it emphasised that no cases have been detected on the island and that there is currently no significant cause for concern.
A full, risk-based contact tracing process is ongoing to identify and monitor individuals who may have been exposed.