Dutch health officials are testing a flight attendant for hantavirus after tracking a deadly outbreak linked to a cruise ship. The airline worker had been in contact with passengers who fell ill during a voyage, raising concerns about potential spread across international air routes.

One infected passenger died after briefly boarding a flight traveling from South Africa to the Netherlands. Global health authorities are now working to identify and monitor all individuals who may have been exposed during the voyage and subsequent travel.

Medical teams evacuated suspected hantavirus patients in Praia, Cape Verde, where the cruise ship incident unfolded. Officials are racing to contain the outbreak while investigating its origin and transmission patterns among passengers and crew.

Hantavirus spreads through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, making confined cruise environments particularly vulnerable to rapid transmission.