Johannesburg: South African officials worked with speed to detect, contain, and respond to the case of Hantavirus detected in the country.

According to South African Government News Agency, Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi briefed Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Health following the confirmation of Hantavirus in a critically ill British national in South Africa, and in a woman who collapsed at OR Tambo International Airport. She later died in South Africa, and her husband, a third patient, passed away in St Helena. These individuals were passengers aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to the Canary Islands via Cape Verde.

Motsoaledi explained that contact tracing is ongoing, with 62 people already identified. The contact tracing efforts include passengers at OR Tambo International Airport, healthcare workers in Kempton Park, and individuals in contact with a patient in a Sandton hospital. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is also conducting international contact tracing.

The Minister addressed concerns about airport screening, explaining that the woman who collapsed had not shown any symptoms when boarding the flight in St Helena. South Africa's safety mechanisms, including temperature screenings at airports, did not detect any illness.

The Hantavirus detected in these cases is the Andes strain, predominant in South America, and it is known for rare human-to-human transmission, requiring very close contact. The virus is zoonotic, primarily found in the Americas, Europe, and India, and not known to be carried by South African rats.

Professor Lucille Blumberg from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) highlighted that South African authorities confirmed the virus within 24 hours of receiving an alert from international colleagues. The response included immediate contact tracing and international consultations, coordinated through the WHO, to manage this unusual health event effectively.