A French man who flew with an infected individual from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship is reported to have contracted the deadly disease. The passenger, who unknowingly shared a flight with a Dutch person showing symptoms, is now under close health monitoring as a potential case of exposure to the rat-borne illness.
The flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg, operated by Airlink, carried 82 passengers and six crew members. Health officials from the World Health Organization are actively tracing and contacting those who were on the flight. Tragically, three individuals have already succumbed to the outbreak associated with the cruise ship.
In response to the situation, British ex-policeman Martin Anstee and two other cruise passengers have been transferred to the Netherlands for specialized treatment. Additionally, a patient is receiving care in Zurich, Switzerland, with the Swiss Health ministry assuring the public of no current risk to Swiss citizens.
Meanwhile, authorities in Argentina, the departure point of the MV Hondius, are investigating whether the country is the origin of the outbreak. The Argentine Health Ministry has announced plans to conduct rodent trapping and testing in Ushuaia, the ship’s port of departure.
Argentina has consistently recorded high rates of the rare rodent-borne disease in Latin America. Recent reports indicate a significant increase in hantavirus infections in the country, with the Argentine Health Ministry reporting double the number of cases compared to the previous year.
The Andes virus, a hantavirus strain found in South America, can lead to a severe and often fatal lung condition known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The mortality rate has increased in recent years, with the virus now causing death in nearly one-third of cases.
Experts like Hugo Pizzi, a renowned Argentine infectious disease specialist, attribute the spread of hantavirus to climate change, which has created favorable conditions for rodent proliferation. While hantavirus primarily spreads through contaminated rodent droppings, human-to-human transmission is rare, with the Andes strain being the only known hantavirus capable of such spread.
Despite the concerning situation, the World Health Organization reassures the public that the risk of widespread transmission is low. The virus can remain dormant for up to eight weeks and is typically not easily transmitted between individuals.
