Two Finnish Travelers Potentially Exposed to Hantavirus on Johannesburg Flight

Two Finnish travelers who recently flew from Johannesburg to Amsterdam may have been exposed to the hantavirus, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) announced. The individuals, who are residents of Finland, were on a flight on April 25 where another passenger was diagnosed with the virus. THL has been in contact with the travelers upon their arrival in Finland, and they are currently asymptomatic and have been directed to seek medical attention.

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Two Finnish travelers have possibly been exposed to hantavirus on a plane in Johannesburg.

In response to the potential exposure, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is urgently preparing an amendment to the infectious diseases decree. This amendment would classify Andes-type hantavirus as a generally dangerous infectious disease, a move that would enable authorities to implement quarantine measures for individuals suspected of being infected. Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen confirmed the swift action, stating that authorities and the government are closely monitoring the risk of the Andes virus spreading.

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The travelers are asymptomatic and have been directed to healthcare services.

While Spanish authorities reported a suspected hantavirus case in Alicante, potentially linked to the same flight, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) assesses the risk of wider spread in Europe as unlikely and the risk to the public as very low. Separately, a cruise ship, the m/v Hondius, with several confirmed and suspected hantavirus cases, including three fatalities, is en route to the Canary Islands. Notably, no Finnish citizens were on board that cruise ship.

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The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is preparing an amendment to the infectious diseases decree, in which the disease caused by the Andes-type hantavirus would be classified as a generally dangerous infectious disease.