A man who never set foot on the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius has been hospitalised after sharing a flight with a passenger who contracted the deadly virus on board. Health officials are closely monitoring the French national, who developed symptoms of the rodent-borne illness after travelling on the same flight as an infected Dutch passenger.
Flight Details and Contact Tracing
The infected Dutch passenger had left the MV Hondius experiencing gastric symptoms, unaware of her condition at the time. South African carrier Airlink confirmed the flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg carried 82 passengers and six crew members. The World Health Organisation is working to trace all individuals on board.
So far, three people have died in the outbreak linked to the cruise ship: a 70-year-old Dutch man, his 69-year-old wife, and a German woman. British former policeman Martin Anstee, 56, and two other passengers have arrived in the Netherlands for specialised treatment, while another patient is being treated in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss health authorities stated that the University Hospital Zurich is prepared for such cases and that there is currently no risk to the Swiss public.
Investigation into Source of Outbreak
Health officials in Argentina, where the MV Hondius departed a month ago, are investigating whether the country is the source of the outbreak. The Argentine Health Ministry announced it will conduct rodent trapping and analysis in Ushuaia, the port of departure. Argentina has the highest rates of hantavirus in Latin America, according to the WHO, with 101 infections recorded since June 2025—roughly double the previous year's figures.
The Andes virus, a strain of hantavirus found in South America, causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe and often fatal lung disease. The disease has killed nearly a third of cases in the last year, up from an average of 15% in the previous five years.
Human-to-Human Transmission Concerns
While hantavirus typically spreads through inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings, the Andes strain can spread from person to person, though this is rare. The WHO's top epidemic expert said the risk to the public remains low. The virus has an incubation period of one to eight weeks.
Hugo Pizzi, a prominent Argentine infectious disease specialist, commented: 'Argentina has become more tropical because of climate change, and that has brought disruptions, like dengue and yellow fever, but also new tropical plants that produce seeds for mice to proliferate. There is no doubt that as time goes by, the hantavirus is spreading more and more.'
