A U.S. citizen who disembarked the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius before the outbreak was identified returned briefly to California before traveling to a remote South Pacific island, where she is now in quarantine, according to officials.
The woman, who has not been named, is currently isolating on Pitcairn Islands—a British territory home to only about 50 people.
The MV Hondius was sailing from Argentina to Antarctica and several South Atlantic islands when the outbreak began. Several weeks passed between the death of an elderly Dutch passenger and the May 2 laboratory results in South Africa that confirmed hantavirus. Of the 11 cases linked to the ship, eight have been laboratory-confirmed and three people have died.
While the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintain that public risk remains low, the “Andes” strain detected in this outbreak is rare for its ability to spread through human-to-human contact. Most other hantaviruses are only transmitted via contact with infected rodents.
It remains unclear how the woman is being isolated on the tiny island or the expected duration of her stay, though the WHO recommends a 42-day quarantine for those exposed.
A spokesman for the Pitcairn government told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the individual “had contact with a hantavirus-exposed individual” but is currently “showing no signs of illness.”
“We are working closely with the health authorities and the UK Government to manage the situation,” the spokesman added. “The wellbeing of our community remains the top priority.”
Newsweek has contacted the Pitcairn government, the United Kingdom’s foreign office and California and U.S. officials for comment via email.
Travel to Remote Island
The person being monitored for possible hantavirus exposure is a California resident, the state’s Department of Health said on Wednesday.
“This individual disembarked the MV Hondius before the outbreak was identified, returned briefly to California and left for additional travel also before the outbreak was identified,” the department said in a news release. “The individual is currently in the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific. Their health is being monitored by the CDC, in coordination with British health officials, and they remain asymptomatic.”
But the BBC, citing the French Polynesian government, reported the woman had flown out of San Francisco on May 7, several days after hantavirus was first identified in the outbreak. At the time, three passengers had died and several others had been sickened, and the ship had departed for Spain’s Canary Islands after being barred from docking in Cape Verde.
After arriving at Tahiti, the woman travelled to the isle of Mangareva in French Polynesia and then to the Pitcairn Islands. According to the AFP, tourists reach the Pitcairn Islands by getting a 32-hour ride on one of the cargo ships that travel to and from Mangareva every few days.
The French Polynesian government said the woman had made the entire journey without telling authorities of her possible exposure to hantavirus. She will not be allowed to leave the island as long as she “poses a risk to others,” the government said in a statement.
According to the AFP, the woman had disembarked the MV Hondius in Saint Helena. The cruise ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, revealed for the first time on May 7 that more than two dozen passengers disembarked at Saint Helena on April 24 before the outbreak was detected, including a Dutch woman whose husband had died on the ship. The Dutch woman was later taken off a plane in Johannesburg where she died.
What to Know About Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn Islands is just 2 miles long and 1 mile wide, making it slightly smaller than New York City’s Central Park.
The capital is Adamstown and is the island’s only settlement. It is one of the smallest and most remote official capitals in the world. Because of the island’s size, its government’s administrative headquarters are located in Auckland, New Zealand.
The locals speak Pitkern, a unique linguistic blend of 18th-century English and Tahitian. While everyone speaks English to outsiders, Pitkern is used for daily life on the island.
CDC Monitoring 41 People
CDC officials said this week 41 people are being monitored for the Andes strain of hantavirus across the country.
The numbers include 18 Americans who were evacuated from the ship in Tenerife, part of Spain’s Canary Islands, on Sunday and flown back to the U.S. to be quarantined. Sixteen are being monitored at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Two others are being monitored at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
Other people being monitored include passengers who returned to the U.S. after being on board the ship before the outbreak was detected, and those who may have been exposed to the virus during travel.
CDC officials said there were no hantavirus cases in the U.S., and the risk to the public remained low.
“Most people under monitoring are considered high-risk exposures, and CDC recommends that everyone under monitoring stay at home and avoid being around people during their 42-day monitoring period,” David Fitter, the incident manager for the CDC’s hantavirus response, said on Thursday.
He continued: “We’ve emphasized not to travel. And across all these groups, our focus is ensuring appropriate health monitoring and quick access to care if needed.”
Which States Are Monitoring People for Hantavirus Exposure?
Seven states are monitoring 16 people who were not on the cruise ship but were potentially exposed to hantavirus during travel.
Those states are California, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota and Washington.
Five states—Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas and Virginia—are also monitoring seven Americans who returned home in April after being on the cruise ship.
What Is Hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a family of viruses most commonly transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodent urine, feces or saliva, often when contaminated dust becomes airborne and is inhaled.
In the U.S., most hantavirus infections are associated with exposure to rodent droppings in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, such as cabins, barns or homes. The virus is rare but can cause a severe and potentially fatal illness known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Health officials stress that most North American strains of hantavirus do not spread from person-to-person, which is a key reason experts say the current risk to the general public remains low.
However, the Andes strain identified in the cruise ship outbreak is unique. It is the only known hantavirus strain capable of limited human‑to‑human transmission, typically occurring during prolonged close contact with an infected person, according to the CDC and WHO.
What Are Symptoms of Hantavirus?
Hantavirus symptoms often begin with flu‑like signs but can rapidly progress to life‑threatening respiratory illness.
Early symptoms commonly include these:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches, particularly in the thighs, hips and back
- Headache and dizziness
- Nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
Some patients later develop a sudden and severe respiratory phase, marked by shortness of breath as fluid builds up in the lungs. This stage can require intensive medical care, including mechanical ventilation and advanced life‑support measures.
Doctors note that because symptoms can worsen quickly, anyone who develops flu‑like illness after known rodent exposure or contact with a confirmed case should seek medical attention immediately.
Is There a Vaccine?
There is no vaccine or cure for hantavirus, but the WHO says early detection and treatment improves survival rates.
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