A British man hospitalised in Johannesburg with hantavirus, contracted on a luxury cruise ship, is “clinically improving but still ill”, a South African health ministry spokesperson said.
Medical Evacuation and Condition
The patient was medically evacuated to South Africa on 27 April after developing a fever, shortness of breath, and pneumonia symptoms. He disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship at Ascension Island, which had departed from Argentina. The identified strain is the Andes hantavirus, typically found in Argentina and Chile, and is a rodent-borne virus.
Outbreak Details
Three other individuals – a Dutch couple and a German national – have died since the outbreak began on the ship. In full hantavirus latest: Three new cases identified as British passengers from cruise ship quarantined in UK.
