Two new cases of hantavirus were reported on Friday, one found in Spain and the other along the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha.
These cases were found, as experts work frantically to contain any outbreak of the virus on this luxury cruise ship, with the latest announcements in locations thousands of miles apart set to cause concern regarding a number of cases found so far.
This comes as Spanish health authorities reported that a woman in the southeastern Spanish province of Alicante showed symptoms which were consistent with a hantavirus infection and is currently being tested.
Secretary of State of Health, Javier Padilla had said that the woman was sitting on a plane behind a Dutch woman who had contracted the virus while on the MV Hondius. The Dutch woman had left the flight in Johannesburg had taken ill before it took off and died in hospital on April 25.
A British man was also suspected of contracting the virus on Tristan da Cunha, according to the Health Secretary agency. It was reported that he had been a passenger along the Dutch flagged ship which had stopped along the island between April 13 and 15.
Such cases has already seen three deaths, with the World Health Organisation once again insisting that the risk to the wider public is low as the virus does not transmit through humans easily.
Speaking about this, WHO technical officer for viral threats had said this in an online briefing: "Based on the dynamics of this outbreak, based on how it is spreading and not spreading amongst the people on the ship, the people who have disembarked, as well, we continue to consider the risk as low for the general population".
Officials have also said that these cases have links to the original cluster of cases. They also said that some of the cases on the ship were caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is the only version which can spread between people, usually through prolonged and close contact with person who is showing symptoms.
So far, three people, a Dutch couple and a German national have died following the outbreak of this hantavirus. Four other people were infected, two British, one Dutch and a Swiss national, who are being treated in hospitals in the Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland.
A fifth case is also suspected, according to the World Health Organisation.
Elsewhere, the two Irish passengers on board this ship are "safe and well", Foreign Affairs Minister, Helen McEntee has confirmed.
"In terms of the two Irish passengers, I am pleased to say that they are safe and well", the minister said.
Ms McEntee has said that she has been “engaging directly with them” and also with the Health Service Executive (HSE) to see what measures “would need to be taken when they do get home”.
She added: “But obviously the priority is to make sure that they can get home as quickly as possible, and we’re working with them and engaging with them", before going on to say it is a “very difficult situation” for the families of those who have died “and for all of those on board”.
While there is not set period for quarantine in Ireland, the HSE said that self isolation will take place “for a period”, with passengers being actively monitored. They said that decisions on where passengers will quarantine will be made on a case by case basis.
They went on to say that passengers will receive “optimal patient care and safety” and that all measures are being taken to “protect broader public health".
