An American passenger from the MV Hondius, a cruise ship where an outbreak of hantavirus broke out, was placed in quarantine upon her arrival on the small British island of Pitcairn in the Pacific, after being passed through French Polynesia, local authorities indicated this Friday, May 15.
This is a contact case which could be of great concern. An American woman, passing by the MV Hondius, was placed in quarantine upon her arrival on the small British island of Pitcairn, in the Pacific, local authorities announced this Friday, May 15.
Asymptomatic, her case concerns the authorities because the passenger took several planes and boats after being disembarked from the cruise ship on the island of Sainte-Hélène, just before the discovery of an outbreak of hantavirus, according to the Pitcairn government spokesperson.
“We can confirm that a person who has been in contact with an individual exposed to hantavirus is currently in isolation on Pitcairn Island and is not showing any symptoms of illness,” said the spokesperson for the British territory.
Anxiety in French Polynesia
The MV Hondius, which left on Wednesday April 1 from Ushuaia in Argentina, stopped at several islands before Saint Helena on April 22-24, where the remains of a Dutchman were unloaded from the boat, as was the wife of this septuagenarian, who also died after a transfer to South Africa.
“We are working closely with the health authorities and the British government to manage the situation,” stressed the Pitcairn government spokesperson, giving priority to the well-being of the population.
No information was provided on the precise terms of the passenger’s isolation or on its duration.
The point of tension remains his very long journey before his arrival at Pitcairn. She flew from San Francisco to Tahiti, then continued to the island of Mangareva, in French Polynesia, according to local authorities. From Mangareva, most travelers reach Pitcairn by cargo ship, a crossing of around 32 hours.
The government of French Polynesia indicated that the American had not informed the authorities of her possible exposure to the hantavirus nor of her passage on the MV Hondius, although it was widely reported in the news.
Without symptoms, she will not be allowed to leave Pitcairn Island as long as she “represents a risk to others”, the government said in a statement.
There is only one grocery store on Pitcairn Island, usually open three times a week. The nearest hospitals are in French Polynesia, more than 2,000 kilometers to the northwest, or in New Zealand, about 5,300 kilometers to the southwest.
Pitcairn residents contacted by AFP said they had been advised against communicating with journalists and should refer all questions to authorities.
