JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — South African health authorities say a British man hospitalised with hantavirus after being evacuated from a luxury cruise ship linked to a deadly outbreak is gradually recovering.
Health ministry spokesperson Foster Mohale confirmed Monday that the patient, who was admitted to a hospital in Johannesburg after falling seriously ill aboard the MV Hondius, remains under medical care but is showing clinical improvement.
“The British patient is clinically improving but still ill,” Mohale told Reuters.
“This means his condition is improving, gradually so.”
The patient was medically evacuated to South Africa on April 27 after developing fever, breathing difficulties, and symptoms consistent with pneumonia while traveling aboard the vessel.
He reportedly disembarked at Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean before being transferred to Johannesburg for specialised treatment.
The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has raised international concern after at least three passengers died from infections linked to Hantavirus.
The victims included a Dutch couple and a German national.
Health authorities said the strain identified during the outbreak is the Andes hantavirus, a rare form of the virus commonly found in parts of Argentina and Chile.
The MV Hondius had departed from Argentina and was carrying mainly British, American, and Spanish passengers during the voyage.
Hantaviruses are primarily spread through exposure to infected rodents or their droppings, although limited person-to-person transmission has occasionally been documented with the Andes strain.
The outbreak has triggered international evacuation and quarantine measures involving several countries, including Australia, Spain, France, and the United States.
The World Health Organization has recommended a 42-day quarantine period for passengers linked to the outbreak as authorities continue monitoring potential infections.
