In an unexpected twist, a bird-watching expedition in a previously hantavirus-free region has become the focal point of an urgent probe. Argentine authorities are scrutinizing whether a Dutch couple unwittingly introduced the lethal virus onto a cruise ship following a visit to a landfill.
Key to this investigation is the theory suggesting that the couple encountered infected rodents during their landfill tour in Ushuaia. This exposure might have led to contracting the virus just before they embarked on a cruise, according to two Argentine officials involved in the inquiry, as reported by The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The hantavirus typically spreads through inhaling air contaminated by infected rodent droppings. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that human-to-human transmission is rare, it remains a possibility.
Until now, Ushuaia and the surrounding Tierra del Fuego province have been free of hantavirus cases, marking this situation as unprecedented in the region.
A dramatic scene unfolded when health workers, clad in protective suits, evacuated patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship into ambulances at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. This Dutch-flagged vessel has become the epicenter of an outbreak, claiming the lives of three passengers and leaving several others ill.
Efforts are currently concentrated on contact tracing throughout Europe and Africa to determine if the virus has spread among passengers who disembarked from the ship.
Testing in Switzerland, South Africa and Senegal has confirmed that this is the Andes strain, according to authorities. The WHO says the variant is found primarily in Argentina and Chile and can spread through close contact, though rare.
The MV Hondius cruise ship is anchored at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
Swiss officials said a man who returned from the cruise sought treatment after developing symptoms and was immediately isolated. They said he tested positive for the Andes strain.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that three suspected cases were evacuated from the vessel and are being transported to the Netherlands for treatment.
An ambulance evacuates patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship to the airport in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
“At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low,” Tedros said.
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