A woman is isolating on the Pitcairn Islands, a remote British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific, after traveling on a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak.
A local government spokesperson told the BBC the person “had contact with a hantavirus-exposed individual” but was “showing no signs of illness.”
The UK Foreign Office said it was “aware of an individual from the MV Hondius who has traveled on to the Pitcairn Islands.” Officials said she was not a suspected case and the risk to the public was low.
The woman had flown from San Francisco on May 7 and traveled through Tahiti and Mangareva in French Polynesia, according to the French Polynesian government. No details have been released about when and where she left the cruise.
Three people have died after traveling on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius. Two were confirmed virus cases. The third developed symptoms earlier and is believed to have been the first infected, but died before testing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed nine cases, with two others suspected. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there was “no sign” of a larger outbreak after passenger evacuation, but warned the situation could change.
Hantaviruses are usually carried by rodents, but human transmission of the Andes strain – which WHO believes some passengers contracted in South America – is possible. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and shortness of breath.
The woman, not publicly named, is isolating on Pitcairn, the only inhabited island of the four volcanic islands. The UK Foreign Office is coordinating with local authorities and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to manage risks.
UKHSA said the isolation period for close contacts of cases, including those on the ship, is 45 days. It is unclear when authorities were notified.
A Pitcairn government spokesperson said: “We are working closely with health authorities and the UK government to manage the situation. The wellbeing of our community remains the top priority.”
The Pitcairn Islands have a population of about 50, mostly descendants of HMS Bounty mutineers who settled in 1790. French Polynesia has banned the woman from re-entering its territory.
The MV Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 with 147 passengers and crew. A 70-year-old Dutch man died on April 11; his 69-year-old wife left the ship on St Helena on April 24 and died in Johannesburg. A German woman died on board on May 2. The ship is now heading to Rotterdam.
Source: www.bbc.com