By Mapaballo Borotho
- Four people in Cape Town are being monitored after possible exposure to hantavirus linked to a deadly outbreak on a luxury cruise ship.
- Three people connected to the outbreak, including a passenger who travelled to Johannesburg, have died.
- Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the risk of a national outbreak in South Africa remains low.
Four people have reportedly been exposed to hantavirus in Cape Town, Western Cape.
Details remain limited at this stage, but the National Department of Health confirmed that the group is being monitored.
The four individuals were linked to a hantavirus outbreak on the luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius.
The vessel was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde with 147 passengers and crew members on board when the outbreak occurred, resulting in the deaths of three people.
One of the deceased, an adult woman, travelled on Airlink flight 4Z132 from St Helena Island to Johannesburg on 25 April.
Her health reportedly deteriorated during the flight and she died upon arrival at an emergency department in Johannesburg. It was later confirmed that she had contracted hantavirus. Her husband had also passed away.
A 69-year-old British national who was evacuated to a hospital in Johannesburg for intensive care has also been confirmed to have contracted the virus.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health on Wednesday sought to calm fears among South Africans, stating that local rats do not spread this strain of the virus.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi assured the public that there is a low risk of the outbreak turning into a national health emergency in South Africa.
He explained that the Andes strain detected in the three confirmed cases is one of 38 hantavirus strains and is among the few known to allow rare human-to-human transmission through extremely close contact.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a disease that is mainly spread through contact with rodents or their urine, saliva, or droppings, particularly when contaminated material is disturbed and becomes airborne, posing a risk of inhalation.
People are typically exposed to hantavirus in homes, cabins, sheds, or other enclosed spaces with poor ventilation, especially when cleaning areas contaminated with mouse droppings.
Symptoms to look out for
An infection can rapidly progress and become life-threatening. Early symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Muscle aches
- headache
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