May 7 (UPI) -- Public health officials conducted contract tracing across the globe Thursday in response to cruise ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions' announcement that 29 people disembarked the vessel after the start of a hantavirus outbreak.
The company said the passengers disembarked the MV Hondius on April 24 in Saint Helena, more than three weeks after initially setting sail with 149 people from Ushuaia, Argentina.
The guests left the ship the same day as the body of a Dutch guest who had died April 11 -- the first patient linked to the outbreak. The passenger's wife, who also disembarked April 24, also became ill and died April 26 after flying from Saint Helen to Johannesburg. She was the first confirmed case of hantavirus, which was announced Monday, Oceanwide Expeditions said.
A third person, from Germany, also died on board the ship Saturday.
"These disembarked guests have all been contacted by Oceanwide Expeditions," the company said in a statement Thursday. "We are working to establish details of all passengers and crew who embarked and disembarked on various stops of m/v Hondius since March 20.
