90-Second Read: 2 S’pore residents who were on board MV Hondius still Hantavirus-free, allowed to quarantine at home

Both men were last exposed to the Hantavirus on April 25, when they shared a flight with a confirmed Hantavirus case from St Helena to the South African city of Johannesburg, after disembarking from the MV Hondius ship. The two men were on board the Hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius when it left the Argentinian port of Ushuaia on April 1, and disembarked at the remote British island of St Helena on April 24. The two Singapore residents tested negative for Hantavirus infection after their return, the CDA said on May 8. The pair were allowed to transition to home quarantine for the last 12 days of their quarantine, from May 25 to June 6.

It previously enforced a 45-day monitoring period for Hantavirus exposure. This was shortened following updated guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends 42 days of quarantine for high-risk contacts and self-monitoring for low-risk contacts. While Hantaviruses do not usually spread from person to person, one strain, the Andes virus found in parts of South America and linked to the Hondius case, has been linked with human-to-human transmission. Their most recent tests for the virus on May 22 turned out negative, including for the Andes strain responsible for an outbreak on the ship, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said in response to queries from The Straits Times.

CDA did not reveal if the two men, whose quarantine ends on June 6, chose to return home. MV Hondius was cleared to set sail again after cleaning and disinfection on May 30. People can become infected with the Hantavirus if they breathe in dust contaminated with urine, droppings or saliva from infected rodents, especially when cleaning or disturbing areas where there are rodents. Symptoms of infection with the Andes virus typically include fever, body aches, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms and difficulty breathing.

Both of them are being monitored daily by the CDA and will be tested for the virus again before being released from quarantine. The following day, they boarded a flight to Johannesburg. This ensures protection for the community and is aligned with the latest risk assessment.