A KLM flight attendant is undergoing tests for hantavirus after developing mild symptoms following contact with a passenger who later died from the disease, Dutch health officials said on Thursday.The crew member was admitted to hospital in Amsterdam as a precaution, according to the Dutch health ministry.
“She is currently undergoing testing,” ministry spokesperson Mischa Stubenitsky told AFP.
The case has drawn renewed attention to hantavirus, a rare but potentially serious illness typically spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings. Dutch broadcaster RTL reported that the flight attendant had interacted with a Dutch passenger who was removed from a KLM flight in Johannesburg before travelling to the Netherlands. The passenger later died in South Africa after reportedly contracting the virus.
In a statement issued earlier this week, KLM confirmed that the passenger had boarded flight KL592 from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25 but was prevented from flying after her condition deteriorated.
“Due to the passenger’s medical condition at the time, the crew decided not to allow the passenger to travel on the flight,” the airline said.
KLM added that the passenger was taken off the aircraft before departure and that the flight later continued to Amsterdam as scheduled. Dutch health authorities have since begun contacting passengers and crew members who may have had contact with the individual, describing the move as a precautionary measure.
Health experts note that human-to-human transmission of some hantavirus strains is considered rare, though certain variants found in South America have previously raised concerns among medical authorities.
Symptoms can range from fever and fatigue to severe respiratory complications in more serious cases. Officials in the Netherlands have not indicated whether there is any broader public health threat linked to the incident, and no additional cases have been confirmed so far.
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