Complete chaos over Hantavirus; Infected cases reaching Europe; Military being mobilized PHOTO/VIDEO

A KLM flight attendant from Haarlem, who had been in contact with a 69-year-old Dutch woman who died, was hospitalized due to a possible infection with the deadly virus. It has now been confirmed, however, that she tested negative.

Nevertheless, many questions still remain unanswered.

Hantavirus a major global topic

Following the outbreak aboard the cruise ship, the first Switzerland citizen tested positive for the virus and was immediately isolated. In addition, several people from different parts of the world have also shown symptoms associated with hantavirus.

At least seven people from the cruise ship have been infected with hantavirus.

Among the three infected passengers who were evacuated is British citizen Marton Ansti.

“I’m okay. I don’t feel too bad. There are still many tests that need to be done. I have no idea how long I’ll remain in the hospital. I’m currently in quarantine,” he told Sky News, adding that doctors should have a clearer picture the day after tomorrow.

For years, it has been known that hantaviruses can be transmitted from rodents to humans. However, the outbreak on the cruise ship is believed to involve the so-called Andes strain. This variant occurs in South America and, in rare cases, can also be transmitted from person to person.

The current outbreak raises five key questions. They show how much about this case still remains unknown, writes the Swiss outlet Blick, as reported by Blic.

1. Who is the index patient?

According to the news agency Associated Press, Argentine authorities have a theory: a Dutch married couple likely contracted the virus while birdwatching in the city of Ushuaia, officials said.

During that excursion, the 69-year-old Dutch woman and the 70-year-old Dutch man reportedly also visited a landfill site, where they may have come into contact with rodents. However, there is still no official confirmation of this.

2. Where are the patients going after leaving the ship?

This issue remains quite chaotic. Some passengers appear to have already returned to their home countries, as shown by the case involving Swiss passengers.

Dutch authorities said today that around 40 passengers disembarked on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. Earlier reports mentioned 23 passengers.

The Spanish newspaper El País quoted an anonymous passenger claiming that many travelers wandered around the island and were only contacted by authorities three days ago.

These are the nationalities of the passengers who disembarked:

• United Kingdom: 7
• United States: 6
• Netherlands: 3, including one passenger who later died
• Canada: 2
• Switzerland: 2
• Turkey: 2
• Germany: 1
• Denmark: 1
• Saint Kitts and Nevis: 1
• New Zealand: 1
• Singapore: 1
• Sweden: 1
• Unknown nationality: 2

A Dutch woman who later died in a hospital in Johannesburg also left the ship.

The cruise ship “Hondius” is expected to arrive in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Saturday.

From there, the evacuation of the remaining passengers is expected to begin on Monday.

During the voyage, there were 88 passengers and 59 crew members from 23 countries aboard the cruise ship. They are expected to first undergo medical examinations at clinics in the Canary Islands. It is still unclear how they will later return to their home countries.

3. Were airline passengers also infected?

The World Health Organization (WHO) is tracing passengers from Airlink 4Z132, which flew from Saint Helena to South Africa on April 25. The Dutch woman who later died was on that flight. Contact tracing is ongoing.

According to the Dutch airline, one passenger who traveled after the hantavirus outbreak was also briefly aboard a KLM flight that departed from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25 at 11:15 p.m. local time.