They are reported to have been on the same flight as a person infected with the virus, according to public health authority THL.
Open image viewer
Two Finnish passengers were temporarily exposed to the Andes virus on a KLM flight from Johannesburg. Image: Massimo Insabato / AOP
Two people in Finland may have been exposed to hantavirus, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
A woman diagnosed with hantavirus was briefly on a flight on 25 April alongside two passengers from Finland, but was later deemed too ill to continue travelling on the aircraft, which was en route from Johannesburg to Amsterdam.
The woman later fainted at Johannesburg airport and was taken to the hospital. She died the following day, according to the World Health Organization.
According to Helsingin Sanomat, the Finnish passengers were seated within a few rows of the deceased passenger.
Both Finns asymptomatic
The two Finnish passengers who were on the flight are currently asymptomatic, the THL said, adding that it had contacted them as part of routine contact tracing to prevent any possible spread of infection.
Liina Voutilainen of THL told news agency STT that it’s highly unlikely the Finns would have contracted the virus. The two Finnish passengers have, however, been advised by the authority to avoid contact with others.
The hantavirus in question is the Andes strain, and Finnish authorities are preparing to amend communicable disease classifications to designate it as a generally dangerous communicable disease. The move would expand their powers to prevent further spread.
The Andes strain can spread from person to person and has previously caused an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius in the Atlantic. Three of those who fell ill on the ship have died.