A passenger from the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise ship is in quarantine on tiny Pitcairn Island, a volcanic outcrop in the South Pacific famously settled by mutineers from the HMS Bounty.
The woman, a US citizen, journeyed halfway across the globe to reach remote Pitcairn Island after disembarking the cruise ship in Saint Helena, authorities said.
“We can confirm that someone who had contact with a hantavirus-exposed individual is currently isolating on Pitcairn Island, showing no signs of illness,” said a Pitcairn government spokesman.
“We are working closely with the health authorities and the UK Government to manage the situation. The wellbeing of our community remains the top priority.”
It was not clear how long the woman might be stuck on Pitcairn Island or how she will be isolated from the around 50 people who call the British territory home.
Pitcairn Islanders contacted by AFP said they had been advised against speaking with journalists and should pass all questions on to government officials.
It was no small effort for the jet-setting American to reach Pitcairn Island, which bills itself as a “must see for adventurous travellers seeking truly remote horizons”.
She first flew from San Francisco to Tahiti and then onwards to the isle of Mangareva in outer French Polynesia.
From Mangareva most tourists reach Pitcairn by hitching a 32-hour ride on one of the cargo ships that shuttle back and forth every few days.
The government of French Polynesia said she had done all this without telling authorities of her possible exposure to hantavirus.
Source: Insider Paper
