South African health authorities have identified and are monitoring 97 people who may have been exposed to hantavirus, while a confirmed patient is reported to be recovering.
Also see: Hantavirus outbreak: What you need to know
According to the Department of Health, the contacts were traced following investigations linked to a recent international hantavirus cluster associated with cruise ship travel.
Health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed that officials, working alongside the World Health Organisation (WHO), are actively tracing and monitoring all identified individuals to prevent further spread, according to SABC News.
IOL reported that authorities say 90 of the 97 contacts have already been reached, and all are being placed under medical observation for several weeks as a precautionary measure.
A small number of individuals — including some in the Western Cape — have been monitored for mild flu-like symptoms, but tests so far have returned negative results, easing immediate public concern, reported Daily Voice.
Also see: Cruise nightmare: Jake Rosmarin opens up after 3 passengers die from hantavirus
According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), health officials emphasise that hantavirus infections remain rare in South Africa, and the current response is focused on containment, surveillance, and early detection rather than evidence of widespread transmission.
The situation comes amid global concern over a cluster of hantavirus cases linked to international travel, prompting coordinated contact tracing across multiple countries. Authorities say the recovery of the confirmed patient is a positive development, while monitoring efforts continue to ensure all possible exposures are tracked.
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted to people through contact with infected rodents, especially in their urine, droppings or saliva. In humans, it is typically contracted by breathing in airborne particles contaminated with the virus, often in enclosed spaces where rodents have nested.
According to the WHO, after exposure, symptoms usually appear within one to five weeks and initially resemble the flu, including fever, muscle aches and fatigue.
As the disease progresses, it can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), with symptoms including:
- Coughing
- Severe breathing difficulties due to fluid accumulation in the lungs
- Fatigue and fever
- Vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain
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