JOHANNESBURG, MAY 11, 2026 — Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says South Africa is working daily with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) to monitor 97 individuals linked to recent hantavirus cases..
Providing an update to the initial alert regarding the MV Hondius outbreak, the Minister confirmed that 90 of these contacts have already been reached and advised on safety protocols.
“So far, we have identified 97 contacts. 90 of whom have been reached already and advised and they are being watched—and we’ll watch them for the whole six weeks,” Motsoaledi said during an interview with the SABC today.
Monitoring the “Andes” strain
The current focus is on the Andes strain of the virus. While there are 38 known hantavirus variants, Andes is the only one capable of human-to-human transmission. This rare characteristic is why health officials are conducting such an extensive search for anyone who may have had close contact with the infected passengers.
“We are concerned about contacts, whether it’s from the plane, from the ambulance, health workers, et cetera. They are all equally contacts,” Motsoaledi added.
Of the 90 contacts reached:
- 86 are located in Gauteng.
- 4 are in the Western Cape.
One individual in the Western Cape developed flu-like symptoms and was hospitalised for observation. However, her hantavirus tests returned negative as of Friday. The Minister reminded the public that because it is currently winter in South Africa, common flu symptoms should not immediately be attributed to the virus.
The “luck” behind the diagnosis
The precision of the South African response is largely due to the NICD’s rapid work. Professor Lucille Blumberg recently told Parliament that the team identified the pathogen within 24 hours of receiving an alert.
The breakthrough came when scientists managed to save a routine blood count specimen from the Dutch widow who collapsed at OR Tambo. The sample was originally marked for destruction, but its retrieval allowed the team to sequence the virus and confirm the Andes strain.
“It was a stroke of luck,” Blumberg said. Just remember patients don’t come and say, ‘I am part of an outbreak’. It does take a little bit of time to get all the facts.”
Are South African rats a threat?
Addressing public fears about local rodents, Minister Motsoaledi was firm in his assessment that the virus remains an “imported” threat rather than a local environmental one.
“From the information I have, South African rats do not carry hantavirus because it’s a virus that is found in the Americas… It’s a virus that is found in Europe. It’s a virus that is found in India,” Whether South African rats carry this… as far as I know, I have never been told of any presence of hantavirus on the African continent, ” Motsoaledi told Portfolio Committee on Health. “I do not know any case which has ever been picked up in South Africa among the rats.”
Current global status
The WHO has officially linked the cluster to the MV Hondius, noting that the first two victims had visited Argentina—where the Andes strain is endemic—before boarding the ship.
While the WHO assesses the global risk as low, South African officials are taking no chances. Tracers have successfully located more than 50 passengers from Airlink Flight 4Z132, the flight taken by the Dutch woman before her death.
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