A Growing Concern on Tristan da Cunha
A third British national is now suspected of being infected with hantavirus on Tristan da Cunha, the world’s most remote inhabited island. This development has raised concerns among health officials and the local community, which consists of fewer than 300 residents. The UK Health Security Agency confirmed that in addition to two previously identified cases, a third individual is under investigation for possible infection.
The latest suspected case was reported as someone who had been on a ship and disembarked on Tristan da Cunha. However, this person is not among the seven British nationals who arrived on St Helena on April 24 aboard the MV Hondius. Two more British men have confirmed cases related to the cruise ship outbreak and are currently undergoing treatment.
Following an evacuation, Martin Anstee, a 56-year-old expedition guide, is stable in the Netherlands, while another individual who was flown to South Africa last month remains in intensive care.
Ecological Challenges on Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory, is home to around 250 inhabitants and is known for its unique ecosystem. The island faces challenges from invasive black rats, which are major agricultural pests and responsible for devastating seabird and landbird populations. To combat this issue, the island has a tradition called ‘ratting day,’ where the community unites in groups to hunt the invasive species.
International Response and Updates
Meanwhile, a flight attendant for KLM airline who showed mild symptoms of hantavirus and was admitted to hospital in Amsterdam has tested negative for the virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The flight attendant had reportedly come into contact with a sickened Dutch cruise boat passenger who was taken off a KLM plane and later died of the virus in South Africa.
The fate of the MV Hondius sparked international alarm after three people traveling on it died, though health officials have downplayed fears of a wider global outbreak from the rat-borne virus, which is less contagious than COVID-19. Another sick passenger from the ship landed in Europe yesterday as the vessel headed to the Spanish Canary Islands, and health officials scrambled to trace the outbreak of the potentially deadly human-to-human strain.
Origin of the Outbreak
A Dutch couple who had traveled around South America before boarding the ship were the first fatalities. Argentine health authorities said they had not yet been able to establish where the outbreak began. With the information provided so far by the countries involved and participating national agencies, it is not possible to confirm the origin of the infection, according to the health ministry after a meeting with authorities from all 24 Argentine provinces.
The Argentine government’s leading hypothesis is that the Dutch couple had contracted hantavirus during a bird-watching outing at a garbage dump in Ushuaia, Argentina—where the MV Hondius departed from on April 1.
WHO Statements and Global Implications
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists in Geneva that five confirmed and three suspected cases had been reported overall, including the three deaths. ‘Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, it’s possible that more cases may be reported,’ he said, referring to the rare strain detected aboard the Hondius, which can be transmitted between humans.
However, the WHO’s emergency alert and response director Abdi Rahman Mahamud said he believed it would be ‘a limited outbreak’ if ‘public health measures are implemented and solidarity shown across all countries.’ People thought or known to have contracted the virus are being treated or isolating in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and South Africa.
Understanding Hantavirus
Hantavirus is a rare respiratory disease that is usually spread from infected rodents and can cause respiratory and cardiac distress as well as haemorrhagic fevers. There are no vaccines and no known cure. Officials in Argentina said they planned to test rodents in the coastal city of Ushuaia.
The company said there were no symptomatic individuals on board as the ship sails toward the Spanish island of Tenerife, where it is scheduled to arrive on Sunday. YouTuber Kasem Ibn Hattuta, a passenger aboard the Hondius, posted a video recounting how he learned of the first death around 12 days after the start of the trip.
‘Most people on board are reacting very calmly to the situation, unlike what is being reported in the media,’ Hattuta said. ‘Today was supposed to be the last day of our 35-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. But it is clear that our journey will not end here,’ he added, referring to Cape Verde’s refusal to allow the Hondius to dock.
Political and Public Reactions
Tedros said the WHO had informed 12 countries that their nationals disembarked from the cruise ship on Saint Helena. The Saint Helena government said ‘more than 95 percent’ of the population had no close contact with the ship’s passengers or crew, or boarded the vessel, and are currently ‘at an extremely low risk of infection.’
The ship is due to dock in Tenerife in the Canary Islands this weekend, where residents are afraid of a ‘Covid 2.0’. The Island’s president Fernando Clavijo fiercely opposed the Spanish government’s decision to allow the Dutch MV Hondius vessel to dock on the archipelago, insisting it wasn’t safe for the local population. Clavijo also criticized the Spanish government for its ‘institutional disloyalty’ and lack of professionalism for failing to keep him informed.
At a meeting on Thursday afternoon, Clavijo told local media that ‘under no circumstances will passengers leave the ship until the aircraft is at the airport,’ and their transfer will be carried out ‘with all necessary safeguards’ and personal protective equipment.
Presidential Concerns
Donald Trump expressed worry yesterday as he told reporters he hopes a deadly hantavirus does not spread. Trump said Thursday he had been briefed on the situation. ‘It’s very much, we hope, under control,’ Trump told reporters. ‘It was the ship – and I think we’re going to make a full report about it tomorrow. We have a lot of great people studying it… It should be fine, we hope.’
When asked by one journalist if Americans should be concerned the virus will spread, Trump replied: ‘I hope not.’
