The potential for further spread of the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius remains a concern as health officials monitor several cases. As of May 7, the World Health Organization reported five confirmed cases and three additional suspected cases associated with the cruise, all involving individuals who were on board.
A 69-year-old Dutch woman, who had been on the cruise, is currently hospitalized at the Amsterdam University Medical Center with mild symptoms. She had attempted to take a KLM flight from Johannesburg to the Netherlands on April 25 but was removed from the plane due to her illness. This woman had previously traveled to the island of Saint Helena after leaving the cruise.
The first known case of this outbreak involved a male Dutch resident who fell ill on April 6 and passed away shortly thereafter. The woman began showing symptoms approximately two weeks later. Testing is ongoing to determine if the flight attendant on the KLM flight, who also had contact with the Dutch woman, is infected. If confirmed, this would mark the first secondary case associated with the outbreak outside of the cruise ship.