An international effort is in progress to locate 30 cruise passengers who departed on a secluded Atlantic island amid concerns of a potentially lethal strain of Hantavirus spreading among humans.
A third British individual is now being monitored as a suspected case on Tristan da Cunha, the most isolated inhabited island globally. The MV Hondius expedition vessel made a stop there in mid-April, shortly before the extent of the outbreak became apparent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning to 12 countries, cautioning that passengers from the 107-meter ship may be carrying the deadly pathogen. These countries include New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Turkey, the US, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Switzerland, and the UK.
To date, the virus has claimed three lives. One victim’s remains were transported from Saint Helena, the rugged island where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years in exile under British supervision.
The Saint Helena government assures that the risk to locals is minimal, with 95% of residents having no contact with the ship. One passenger who traveled from the island to Johannesburg has passed away, while a British man who shared the flight remains in critical condition in a South African ICU.
The gravity of the situation escalated on May 6 when experts confirmed that the outbreak is the Andes strain of Hantavirus, which can spread from person to person through close and prolonged contact.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of the possibility of more reported cases and emphasized the importance of preventing further transmission of the virus.
In a bid to enhance global preparedness, 2,500 diagnostic kits have been expedited from Argentina to laboratories in five countries.
The MV Hondius is currently en route to the Canary Islands, sparking controversy upon its impending arrival. Despite local authorities attempting to block the ship, the Spanish government has intervened.
British nationals aboard the vessel, both crew members and passengers, will undergo a rigorous 45-day isolation period upon their return to the UK to ensure they are free of the virus, which can remain dormant for up to 39 days.
Among those evacuated are Martin Anstee, a 56-year-old retired police officer who left the ship on May 6 and is in stable condition in a Dutch hospital. Additionally, a crew member from the Netherlands and a 65-year-old individual from Germany were also evacuated.
Maria van Kerkhove, an infectious disease specialist, urged for calm while highlighting the distinct mode of transmission of the virus, emphasizing that it spreads differently from COVID-19 or influenza.
She disclosed that all individuals on the ship, managed by Oceanwide Expeditions, have been instructed to wear masks, with caregivers wearing enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) when in close proximity to suspected virus cases.
