A New Zealand passenger from the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius is currently in hospital quarantine in Taiwan, according to Taiwanese health authorities.
The passenger, who has tested negative for the rare virus and is showing no symptoms, arrived in Taiwan on 7 May after disembarking the cruise ship in Saint Helena on 24 April.
Taiwan’s Taiwan Centers for Disease Control said it was informed by New Zealand authorities on Wednesday that the individual was in the country.
CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui confirmed the passenger was admitted to hospital on the same day and is expected to remain under observation until 6 June.
“At present, we believe their probability of developing the disease is relatively low,” Tseng said, noting that the last known contact with other passengers occurred around 25 April.
Health officials say the incubation period for hantavirus can extend up to 42 days.
The Taiwan CDC director-general Lo Yi-chun said the passenger did not return to New Zealand after leaving the vessel, but declined to disclose the travel route taken to Taiwan. New Zealand’s representative office in Taipei has also declined to comment.
Authorities continue to stress that the overall public health risk remains low despite the outbreak linked to the ship.
Globally, three deaths have been confirmed in connection with the outbreak.
The cruise vessel departed Argentina on 1 April and travelled across the Atlantic Ocean before reports of infections emerged among passengers and crew.
Health experts note there is no vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus, but say the likelihood of wider spread remains limited.