A Dutch flight attendant has been admitted to the hospital after possible exposure to hantavirus linked to passengers from a cruise ship outbreak in southern Africa.

According to reports from Dutch media, the crew member worked on a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight connected to a 69-year-old Dutch passenger who later died from the virus in Johannesburg. The flight attendant is currently being isolated at Amsterdam UMC and undergoing medical testing after developing mild symptoms.

The passenger, who died on April 26 in a Johannesburg hospital, had briefly boarded a KLM flight at O.R. Tambo International Airport the previous evening. Airline staff reportedly asked her to leave the aircraft after noticing she was unwell. The plane continued its journey from Johannesburg to Amsterdam that night.

Dutch health authorities have since started contacting passengers on the flight, advising them to monitor for any signs of hantavirus infection. Officials from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment noted that symptoms can appear anywhere from a few days to about 2 months after exposure, though most cases develop within 2 to 4 weeks.

The situation is connected to a wider outbreak that began aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius. So far, three passengers have died, including the Dutch woman and her husband.

The woman’s husband reportedly passed away on April 11 while still on the vessel after suffering from what was initially described as a serious respiratory illness. Concern escalated when another passenger from the United Kingdom, who was receiving intensive care treatment in Johannesburg, tested positive for hantavirus.

Medical tests later confirmed that both the British passenger and the Dutch woman had contracted the Andes strain of the virus — a rare and severe form capable of spreading between humans.

The World Health Organization has confirmed seven hantavirus cases linked to the cruise ship, including the three fatalities.

Health officials have continued evacuation efforts from the vessel, with three additional passengers removed earlier this week for medical reasons. Around 150 people reportedly remain on board, including several Dutch nationals.

The MV Hondius recently left the waters near Cape Verde and is now heading toward Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. Authorities expect the ship to arrive there on Saturday, where passengers without symptoms are expected to be allowed to disembark.