Cape Town – The Portfolio Committee on Health has revealed that 62 individuals have been identified as possible contacts of two confirmed hantavirus cases linked to a Dutch-flagged cruise ship.
Of these, 42 have already been traced and are under monitoring, while efforts continue to locate the remaining 20.
The update was delivered during a briefing to the committee on Wednesday, 6 May 2026, where Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, alongside officials from the Department of Health and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), outlined the country’s response to the rare outbreak.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) was notified on Saturday, 2 May 2026, after passengers aboard the vessel reported severe respiratory illness.
There were at least 147 passengers and crew from multiple nationalities.
Two ailing passengers were medically evacuated by air to South Africa, including a Dutch woman whose husband died at sea.
The woman fell ill at OR Tambo International and later died in a hospital in South Africa.
The second passenger, a British man, was admitted to a private hospital in Johannesburg.
Two fatalities have since been confirmed, while the Briton remains hospitalised in Johannesburg in stable condition.
Laboratory tests confirmed the Andes strain of hantavirus, a virus endemic to South America and primarily transmitted through rodents.
Urging calm, Dr. Motsoaledi stressed that human-to-human transmission was rare and requires close contact.
Importantly, experts assured the committee that South African rodents do not carry this strain, meaning the risk of local spread remains limited.
However, the department has been tracking and monitoring the people who came into contact with the two passengers from the cruise ship.
Committee Chairperson MP Faith Muthambi expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and solidarity with those affected.
She commended the swift action of health authorities and frontline workers, describing the rapid identification of the virus as “finding a needle in a haystack.”
Despite the reassurances, members raised concerns about gaps in early detection systems, questioning why the illness was not identified aboard the cruise ship or at points of entry such as OR Tambo International Airport.
They pressed officials on whether lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic had been fully applied to strengthen surveillance.
Further concerns centred on South Africa’s diagnostic capacity and funding pressures facing the NICD and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS).
Dr. Motsoaledi acknowledged that sustainable financing for these institutions remains unresolved and urged parliamentary support in securing long-term solutions.
The committee emphasised the need for transparent communication to prevent panic and called for regular updates on tracing and monitoring efforts.
“Clear communication is essential to maintaining public trust,” Muthambi said, adding that vigilance must remain high despite assurances that the current risk is contained.
The committee said it will continue to monitor developments closely, with expectations that the Department of Health will provide ongoing updates on tracing, laboratory findings, and containment measures.
“We note the assurances that there is limited exposure within the country at this stage,” said MP Muthambi.
“However, we must remain vigilant and ensure that our systems continue to function optimally to prevent any escalation.”
