A KLM flight attendant from Haarlem has been hospitalised in the Netherlands after possible exposure to hantavirus linked to a deadly outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship Hondius.
Dutch health authorities confirmed to RTL Nieuws that the crew member, who worked on a Johannesburg-Amsterdam flight on April 25, 2026 is currently in isolation at Amsterdam UMC with mild symptoms and is being tested for the virus.
The development comes days after a 69-year-old Dutch woman died of hantavirus at a hospital in Johannesburg on April 26.
The woman had briefly boarded the KLM aircraft at O.R. Tambo International Airport before airline staff asked her to disembark because she was unwell.
Following the incident, the flight departed for Amsterdam at 11:15 p.m.
The Dutch health service GGD has since begun contacting passengers from the flight and advised them to monitor for symptoms.
According to the RIVM, symptoms can appear anywhere between a few days and 60 days after infection, though the average incubation period is two to four weeks.
The outbreak has now been linked to at least seven hantavirus cases aboard the Hondius, including three deaths.
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Health officials said both the Dutch woman and another critically ill British passenger tested positive for the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread from person to person.
Most hantavirus variants are transmitted through rodent urine and droppings.
Authorities are continuing evacuation and medical screening efforts for passengers and crew members. Around 150 people remain on board the cruise ship, which is expected to dock in Tenerife on Saturday.
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