WHO Gives Update on KLM Crew Member
The World Health Organization has confirmed that a flight attendant working for Dutch airline KLM tested negative for hantavirus.
The crew member showed mild symptoms and received treatment at a hospital in Amsterdam after possible exposure to the virus.
Passenger Linked to Cruise Ship Outbreak
Health officials tested the flight attendant after reports showed she came into contact with an infected passenger.
The passenger, a Dutch woman, boarded a KLM flight from Johannesburg to the Netherlands on April 25 but left the aircraft before take-off due to her medical condition.
She later died in a Johannesburg hospital on April 26 and tested positive for hantavirus.
The woman was the wife of the first reported victim from the outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Cruise Ship Outbreak Claims Three Lives
The outbreak has killed three people connected to the cruise voyage.
The ship departed from Ushuaia on April 1 and travelled toward Cape Verde.
Authorities in several countries continue monitoring passengers and possible contacts linked to the outbreak.
Health Authorities Monitor Exposed Passengers
KLM said the crew acted quickly after noticing the passenger’s worsening condition.
The airline confirmed that the aircraft departed only after removing the passenger.
Dutch health officials have started contacting passengers from the flight as a precautionary measure.
People linked to possible infections are receiving treatment or observing isolation measures in Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, and South Africa.
