A man from the UK, who was a fellow passenger on a flight with a woman who later died from contracting hantavirus, was detained at a bar in Italy as authorities work to control the deadly outbreak.
The individual and his companion were taken into custody in Milan and transferred to Sacco Hospital. They are required to remain in quarantine until June 6, undergoing a 42-day isolation period despite testing negative for the disease and showing no symptoms.
The British man, believed to be in his 60s, traveled on the same Airlink flight as Mirjam Schilperoord, who tragically passed away from hantavirus. She was the wife of patient zero, Leo Schilperoord, who succumbed to the virus while on the cruise ship they were aboard.
Hantavirus has prompted a global health emergency response following an outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship, resulting in 11 passengers contracting the disease and three fatalities.
Leo and Mirjam, residents of Haulerwijk in the Netherlands, were identified in obituaries in their local village magazine. The couple likely contracted the hantavirus strain from the Andes region during their travels in South America.
After visiting a landfill site in Ushuaia, the Schilperoords boarded the MV Hondius cruise ship, where Leo fell ill and eventually passed away. Mirjam, who also became unwell, was denied clearance to travel and died in a hospital in South Africa. Another passenger from the ship, a German national, also lost their life to the virus.
The head of the World Health Organization acknowledged the ongoing spread of hantavirus but stated that there has not been a widespread public outbreak of the disease. Dr. Tedros warned of possible additional cases due to the virus’s long incubation period and the close interactions among passengers on the MV Hondius.
The situation continues to be monitored closely as health authorities brace for potential new cases in the upcoming weeks.
