The Department of Health has urged the public not to panic after confirming a rare case of Hantavirus infection in a critically ill British national who was medically evacuated to South Africa following illness aboard a cruise ship.
The patient, who was travelling on the cruise vessel MV Hondius, was brought to a private hospital in Sandton after his condition failed to improve while the ship was at sea.
Laboratory tests later confirmed he had contracted Hantavirus, a rare but potentially severe disease transmitted primarily through exposure to infected rodents.
Department of Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said the patient remains in critical condition and is being treated in isolation.
“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,” said Mohale.
According to the department, the vessel had been travelling from Argentina to the Canary Islands via Cape Verde and passed several remote regions including Antarctica, the Falklands, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, St Helena and Ascension Island. The ship was carrying about 150 passengers.
Health authorities said the patient had initially been treated at Ascension Island, but his condition worsened, requiring evacuation to South Africa for further medical care.
The Department also confirmed that two other passengers on board experienced serious medical emergencies during the voyage, both of whom have since died.
A 70-year-old male passenger became ill while the ship was en route from Ushuaia to St Helena, presenting with fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. He died upon arrival at St Helena, with his remains awaiting repatriation to the Netherlands.
His 69-year-old wife later collapsed at OR Tambo International Airport while transiting through South Africa and was taken to a facility in Kempton Park, where she also died. Her laboratory results are still pending.
Despite the cluster of cases, Mohale stressed that the risk to the South African public remains low.
“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,” he said.
The Department of Health is working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Gauteng health authorities to conduct contact tracing and monitor anyone who may have been exposed.
The World Health Organization is also coordinating a multi-country response involving affected islands and countries as part of efforts to contain any potential spread.