Meanwhile, two patients evacuated from the cruise ship Hondius remained aboard a grounded air ambulance in Canary Islands.

On Thursday, the Dutch Health Ministry confirmed that a KLM flight attendant has been hospitalized with a possible hantavirus infection.

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Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported that the flight attendant is experiencing mild symptoms and currently in isolation at Amsterdam University Medical Centers, where she is undergoing testing.

The flight attendant had been in contact with the Dutch woman who died of hantavirus in Johannesburg on April 26. A day before her death, the woman briefly boarded a KLM flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, but the crew ultimately decided not to allow her to travel because of her medical condition.

Previously, on Wednesday, Spain’s Health Ministry announced that two suspected hantavirus patients evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius remained aboard a grounded air ambulance in Canary Islands while awaiting a replacement aircraft following a technical malfunction.

The aircraft had departed from Cape Verde and was originally expected to refuel in the western Moroccan city of Marrakesh en route to Amsterdam. However, Moroccan authorities did not authorize the landing.

“During the refueling stop, the plane’s doctor reported a failure in the patient’s electrical support system,” Spain’s Health Ministry said, adding that both patients, including the ship’s doctor, remained aboard the aircraft with electrical support provided by the airport while awaiting a replacement plane.

“The patients do not pose a risk to public health and will remain on the tarmac until the situation is resolved,” the Ministry stated, recalling that the evacuation operation is part of the international response to a hantavirus outbreak linked to the Dutch-operated cruise ship MV Hondius.

What to Know About Hantavirus

Hantavirus is a group of viruses primarily carried by rodents and transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or their droppings, urine, or saliva. When these materials become airborne—such as when sweeping or disturbing contaminated dust—people can inhale the virus and become infected.

Different strains exist worldwide, and each is typically associated with a specific rodent species. The disease is not usually spread from person to person, except in rare cases involving certain strains found in South America.

In humans, hantavirus infection can lead to serious illnesses, most notably Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in the Americas and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) in Europe and Asia.

Early symptoms often resemble the flu, including fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and headaches. As the disease progresses, especially in HPS, it can cause severe respiratory distress due to fluid buildup in the lungs, which can become life-threatening without prompt medical care. Mortality rates can be high, making early recognition and treatment critical.

Prevention mainly focuses on reducing exposure to rodents and their habitats. This includes sealing homes to prevent rodent entry, properly storing food, and using protective measures—such as gloves and masks—when cleaning areas where rodent contamination might be present. There is no widely available vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus infections, so public health efforts emphasize awareness and prevention to reduce the risk of infection.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE – Xinhua

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