Die lugredery Airlink het bevestig dat gesondheidsowerhede ondersoek instel nadat ’n passasier wat op een van sy onlangse vlugte was, later vermoedelik aan die seldsame hantavirus-infeksie oorlede is. Daar was 82 passasiers en ses bemanningslede aan boord dié vlug.
Volgens die Nasionale Departement van Gesondheid het die passasier saam met ander reisigers op ’n skip gevaar en het op 25 April van St Helena-eiland na Johannesburg gevlieg. Die siekte is eers ná die vlug by gesondheidsowerhede aangemeld en kontak-opsporing is onmiddellik begin. Die betrokke lugredery het intussen die besonderhede van passasiers en bemanningslede aan die owerhede oorhandig om verdere opvolg moontlik te maak. Passasiers wat op die vlug was, word versoek om met die gesondheidsdepartement in verbinding te tree.
Die Wêreld Gesondheidsorganisasie en plaaslike gesondheidsowerhede hou die situasie fyn dop, terwyl Airlink sê hulle werk volgens streng gesondheids- en veiligheidsprotokolle en dat hul vliegtuie met gevorderde lugfiltrasiestelsels toegerus is.
Lees Airlink se plasing hier:
Airlink – 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 | 𝟬𝟲 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 – The World Health Organisation and South African public health authorities are responding to a number of Hantavirus cases involving people on an Atlantic Ocean cruise ship. One of the ship’s passengers left the cruise at St Helena Island with the intention of returning to the Netherlands by air via Johannesburg onboard Airlink’s flight, 4Z 132, from the island on 25th April 2026.
In total, there were 82 passengers and 6 crew onboard the flight.
At the time Airlink was unaware that any of the passengers were unwell.
On Sunday, 03 May 2026, Airlink was notified by South Africa’s public health authorities that the passenger from the ship, who had been on the previous week’s flight, had passed away after she arrived in Johannesburg and that her death was thought to be attributable to the rare Hantavirus.
In accordance with health protocols, Airlink provided the Dept of Health with the names, contact details and seating allocation of the passengers and crew who had been on the flight. This was to enable the health authorities to commence contact tracing.
Airlink is also contacting passengers who were on that flight and advising them to contact South Africa’s Department of Health, either by phone on +27 (0) 76 273 41 55 or by email: [email protected]
The safety and well-being of our customers, personnel and equipment is Airlink’s priority. Airlink operates in strict accordance with all pertinent public health and aviation regulations and requirements and follows the guidance provided by the Department of Health and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
In addition, Airlink’s fleet of Embraer aircraft are equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. These continually “scrub” clean the cabin air which is constantly renewed throughout a flight.
