GAUTENG- The Department of Health says it has been informed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) about illnesses and deaths involving passengers aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was travelling from Southern Argentina to the Canary Islands via several Atlantic islands. The vessel, carrying about 150 tourists, reported multiple medical emergencies linked to severe acute respiratory infections while passing near South African waters.
Two passengers, a married couple from the Netherlands aged 70 and 69, died after falling ill during the journey and upon arrival in Southern Africa. A third passenger, a British national, was later diagnosed with Hantavirus after being medically evacuated to South Africa and remains in critical condition in isolation. Health authorities, working with the NICD and Gauteng health officials, have launched contact tracing, while the government says there is no need for public panic as the World Health Organization coordinates a broader international response.
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