A KLM flight attendant has been hospitalized in Amsterdam over a suspected hantavirus infection after reportedly coming into contact with a passenger linked to the deadly outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship.
According to Dutch media outlet RTL Nieuws, the unidentified stewardess was placed in isolation late Wednesday, May 6, for medical tests after showing mild symptoms.
Health officials said the crew member had briefly interacted with an elderly Dutch passenger who was considered too ill to continue her journey. The woman later collapsed at the airport and died in hospital a day later.
The flight attendant was reportedly taken from her home in Haarlem by medical personnel after her symptoms emerged.
The deceased passenger, 69, had earlier been evacuated from the MV Hondius in South Africa after her 70-year-old husband died onboard during the outbreak. She had been transferred to Johannesburg on April 25 to begin her return trip to the Netherlands for treatment.
KLM confirmed that the woman boarded the aircraft briefly but was eventually prevented from flying because of her condition.
“Due to the passenger’s medical condition at the time, the crew decided not to allow the passenger to travel on the flight,” a KLM spokesperson said.
Despite the incident, the flight later departed as scheduled. Dutch health authorities are now contacting passengers who were onboard.
So far, three people — the Dutch couple and a German national — have died in connection with the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
