Singapore has isolated two residents and is conducting tests after they were identified as passengers aboard a cruise ship connected to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak, according to the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) on Thursday.
Health authorities around the world are currently tracing and monitoring passengers from the affected vessel in an effort to stop any further spread of the virus. The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has reportedly resulted in the deaths of three passengers, including a Dutch couple and a German national, while at least eight people are believed to have contracted the virus.
Hantavirus is primarily spread through contact with infected rodents, although rare cases of person-to-person transmission have also been reported.
The two Singapore residents, aged 67 and 65, are currently being isolated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases after traveling aboard the MV Hondius, which departed from the Ushuaia port in Argentina on April 1.
“One has a runny nose but is otherwise well, and the other is asymptomatic. The risk to the general public in Singapore is currently low,” the CDA said.
If the two men test negative for Hantavirus, they will be placed under quarantine for 30 days from their last known exposure to the virus. However, if either individual tests positive, they will remain hospitalized for continued monitoring, medical observation, and treatment.
Both had disembarked from the ship and were also on the same flight as a confirmed hantavirus case from St Helena to Johannesburg on April 25. The confirmed case did not travel to Singapore and has since passed away in South Africa, the agency said.
