Health Department Confirms Hantavirus Case With Contact Tracing Underway After Expedition Incident

Reuters reports that the Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions said in a news release it was "managing a serious medical situation" on a polar expedition ship, the MV Hondius. Image credit: Fdesroches, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“His laboratory test results came back positive for Hantavirus – a rare but potentially deadly virus transmitted primarily by rodents. The patient is still in critical condition in isolation but receiving medical attention,” the department stated.

The department added that it is working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and Gauteng Health Department authorities to “conduct contact tracing to stop potential spread of the virus by identifying and monitoring individuals who may have been exposed to the infected persons.”

In a statement on Twitter (X), the WHO confirmed that three of the passengers — two of whom are Dutch — have died.

The South African health department has called on the public to remain calm following the news of the infections.

“In our view, there is no need for the public to panic because only two patients from the cruise ship have been within our borders,” said the department.

WHO added that detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations.

Furthermore, the ship’s passengers and crew are receiving medical care and support, while virus sequencing is underway.

Reuters reports that the Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions said in a news release it was "managing a serious medical situation" on a polar expedition ship, the MV Hondius, which was off Cape Verde, an island nation in ​the Atlantic west of Africa.

Hantavirus infections are typically linked to environmental exposure (exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces).

While rare, hantavirus can spread between people and lead to severe respiratory illness, requiring careful patient monitoring, support, and response, according to the WHO.

The organisation stated that it is facilitating coordination between member states and the ship’s operators for the medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, as well as full public health risk assessment and support to the remaining passengers on board.