A British tourist who shared a flight with a woman who later died from hantavirus was detained at a bar in Milan as authorities work to contain the deadly outbreak. The man, believed to be in his 60s, and his companion were taken to Sacco Hospital and placed under a 42-day isolation period until June 6, despite showing no symptoms and testing negative for the disease.
Flight Connection to Victim
The British holidaymaker was on the same Airlink flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg as Mirjam Schilperoord, 69, who died from hantavirus. She was the wife of Leo Schilperoord, 70, the first passenger to die from the virus on board the MV Hondius cruise ship. The couple had visited a landfill site in Ushuaia, Argentina, on March 27, where authorities believe they contracted the Andes strain of hantavirus from infected rodents.
Outbreak on Cruise Ship
The hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship has triggered an international emergency response. So far, 11 passengers have contracted the disease, with three deaths. Leo Schilperoord died on the ship on April 11, and his body remained on board until the ship docked in Saint Helena on April 24. Mirjam traveled with his body to South Africa but fell ill and died on April 26 after being denied clearance for a KLM flight to Amsterdam. A third victim, a German passenger, has also died.
World Health Organisation chief Dr. Tedros stated that while there is no sign of a larger outbreak, more cases may emerge due to the long incubation period of the virus. The British tourist and his companion will remain in quarantine until June 6 to ensure the virus does not spread further.
