The World Health Organization has launched urgent contact tracing for up to 98 passengers and crew on an Airlink flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg, South Africa, after a female passenger died from a hantavirus infection.
The Dutch woman, whose husband had earlier died from the virus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, disembarked in Saint Helena on April 24 with gastrointestinal symptoms. She boarded the April 25 flight, where her condition worsened. She collapsed upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport and died on April 26 at a Johannesburg hospital emergency department. Hantavirus tests confirmed positive on May 4.
The flight carried 82 passengers and six crew members. This incident stems from a hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship, which departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1. A German passenger died on May 2 after developing fever and pneumonia. One male passenger remains in intensive care in South Africa, with three suspected cases aboard the ship, now anchored off Cape Verde after docking refusals.
Hantavirus typically spreads through contact with infected rodents urine, feces, or saliva, though limited human-to-human transmission has occurred in prior Andes virus outbreaks. The WHO assesses the global risk as low but continues monitoring.