Department of Health spokesperson Foster Mohale has confirmed that there has been 97 possible contacts of hantavirus-infected people in South Africa.
97 POSSIBLE HANTAVIRUS CONTACTS
Mohale says the department is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to trace cases in South Africa, with a clear focus on finding all those who could have been in contact with infected people. The contact tracing began after an adult female, who travelled on Airlink flight 4Z132 from St. Helena Island to Johannesburg on 25 April, passed away.
Her health began deteriorating on the flight and she died upon arrival at an emergency department in Johannesburg. It was confirmed that she had contacted the Hantavirus. Her husband had also passed away. Contact tracing of passengers on the flight had been under way. The flight carried 88 passengers and crew.
The woman who passed away was travelling on a luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius, where there was a suspected outbreak of the virus. The cruise ship was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde, carrying a total of 147 passengers including crew members.
BRITISH MAN’S WHO CONTACTED THE VIRUS HEALTH IS ‘IMPROVING’ IN JOHANNESBURG
A British man was also on the cruise ship, and had been admitted to a hospital in Johannesburg after falling ill with hantavirus. Mohale says his health has been improving.
“The condition of a British man who was admitted to hospital in Johannesburg after falling ill is gradually improving. The patient is clinically improving but still ill. His condition is improving, gradually.”
Mohale said the man was medically evacuated to South Africa on 27 April, after presenting with a fever, shortness of breath and signs of pneumonia.
This comes after South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases identifying the Andes variant of hantavirus, which is capable of spreading between humans.
