Dutch officials said on Thursday that about 40 passengers from a cruise ship affected by the outbreak of the deadly Hanta virus had previously been disembarked on the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, after the first passenger died.Authorities are now working to trace passengers and potential contacts after the outbreak killed several people and sickened several others, with new details emerging about previous disembarkations during the flight.The Dutch Foreign Ministry stated that the passengers, including the wife of a Dutch man who died, left the ship during a stop in British territory.The Dutch cruise company that operates the ship had previously said that the woman disembarked in St. Helena with her husband’s body and then headed to South Africa on a commercial flight.
She later died after collapsing at an airport in Johannesburg.However, the company did not confirm that other passengers also left the ship in St. Helena.It has now emerged that a man tested positive for Hantavirus in Switzerland after also disembarking in St Helena and returning home, although his exact movements remain unclear.The Dutch authorities did not mention the whereabouts of the other passengers who disembarked currently.
Separately, a British man was evacuated from the ship bound for South Africa from Ascension Island a few days later, according to the company. Three other people, including the ship’s doctor, were also evacuated from the ship near Cape Verde and taken to Europe for treatment on Wednesday.So far, three passengers have died in the outbreak, and several others have fallen ill.