Over the course of the cruise, passengers from 12 countries—Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S.—disembarked at one of the stops in Saint Helena. The WHO is working with health authorities from these countries to ensure officials are tracing their close contacts to monitor any further spread of the virus. Because the Andes virus is not common, the WHO has arranged for the shipment of 2,500 diagnostic kits from Argentina, where testing is more prevalent, to labs in five countries.
One man is currently hospitalized in South Africa after being flown there. He remains in intensive care but is improving, said van Kerkhove. Three others were evacuated from the ship on May 6; two are in stable condition, and the other person is not experiencing any symptoms. The latest case is a man who disembarked from the ship in Saint Helena and flew to Zurich, where he developed symptoms. (The ship’s operator sent emails to all disembarked passengers about the outbreak with instructions that anyone with symptoms should seek health care.) Health officials in Zurich tested his virus and confirmed he was infected with Andes virus.