SINGAPORE: The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) issued a statement on Thursday (May 7) in relation to the hantavirus that broke out on the cruise ship MV Hondius, saying that it had been noticed on May 4 and 5 that two residents of Singapore had been on the ship.
The two individuals have since been isolated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), and are being tested for the virus.
“Their test results are pending. One has a runny nose but is otherwise well, and the other is asymptomatic,” CDA said, adding the assurance that the risk to the general public in Singapore is currently low.
Both residents are male: a 67-year-old Singaporean who arrived on May 2 and a 65-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident who entered Singapore on May 6. The men had disembarked from the MV Hondius and had been on the same flight from St Helena to Johannesburg with a person confirmed to have had hantavirus. This individual did not come to Singapore and has since died in South Africa.
Infections aboard MV Hondius
The ship made the news recently after there were eight confirmed infections, and three people have died since the MV Hondius departed from Argentina in April.
With the COVID-19 pandemic barely in the world’s rearview mirror, concerns of another large-scale outbreak have been raised in relation to the hantavirus infections.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also been reassuring, saying on May 7 that it does not expect numerous infections similar to Covid, though more cases may emerge. It added that there is no evidence of a risk of widespread transmission.
The infections aboard MV Hondius are linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is rare but potentially severe. This strain may spread from one person to another, but only through close contact.
“Hantaviruses are viruses carried by some rodents. People can become infected when they breathe in dust contaminated with urine, droppings, or saliva from infected rodents, especially when cleaning or disturbing areas with rodent activity,” CDA wrote, adding that the symptoms of infection with the Andes strain “typically include fever, body aches, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, and difficulty breathing, and progress rapidly to shock and death.”
Why were they allowed to disembark?
After the CDA issued its statement, a number of Singaporeans online asked why the two individuals in isolation at the NCID had been allowed to disembark at all, given that at present, there are still 146 people from 23 different countries on the MV Hondius under “strict precautionary measures.”
“Why are they allowed to disembark and travel?” asked a Facebook user, who added that common sense would have dictated that the passengers should have been quarantined.
The answer may be found in the timeline of the events that unfolded.
The first death linked to the hantavirus outbreak on the vessel took place on April 11. At the time, however, it was believed that the 70-year-old Dutch male had passed away from natural causes.
On April 24, dozens of people, including the two Singapore residents, disembarked from the ship at St Helena, as their part of the trip ended.
However, several among those who left the MV Hondius at St Helena grew seriously ill, and after testing, health authorities in South Africa identified the Andes strain of hantavirus.
The earliest laboratory-confirmed hantavirus case linked to MV Hondius was not identified until May 2. By then, the two Singapore residents were already in the city-state or were shortly to arrive there.
After the authorities identified the virus, tracing, isolation, and testing began retroactively worldwide, including in Singapore. /TISG
Read also: Dozens of passengers and crew were infected with norovirus on a cruise between Singapore & California
