Passengers on Jo'burg flight traced for hantavirus
A woman carrying the hantavirus deteriorated during a flight to Johannesburg on April 25.
Image: File
Contact tracing has been initiated for passengers onboard a flight to Johannesburg on April 25, after a woman onboard died from the hantavirus.
The hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, which was sailing between Argentina and Cape Verde, has so far been linked to the death of two people.
The ship was travelling past South African shores when some of the passengers experienced serious health complications.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed one critically ill patient is in intensive care in South Africa, with five more suspected infections under investigation.
The WHO on Monday said an adult female, who was a close contact of a man who died, deteriorated during a flight to Johannesburg.
"An adult female, who was a close contact of case one, went ashore at St Helena on April 24, 2026 with gastrointestinal symptoms. She subsequently deteriorated during a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 25.
"She later died upon arrival at the emergency department on April 26.
"On May 4, the case was subsequently confirmed by PCR with hantavirus infection. Contact tracing for passengers on the flight has been initiated," said the WHO.
The man and woman, believed to be husband and wife, had travelled in South America, including Argentina, before they boarded the cruise ship on April 1.
The 70-year-old man fell ill unexpectedly and developed symptoms including fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, and died upon arrival at St Helena.
His body remains on the island pending repatriation to the Netherlands.
The second patient was a 69-year-old woman.
She later collapsed at OR Tambo International Airport while attempting to board a connecting flight back to her home country, the Netherlands.