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In an unexpected turn of events, a bird-watching tour in an area previously free from hantavirus cases has sparked a critical investigation. Argentine authorities are now probing whether a Dutch couple inadvertently introduced the hazardous virus to a cruise ship following a visit to a landfill site.
Officials in Argentina are focusing on the possibility that the couple encountered rodents at the landfill during their excursion in Ushuaia city. This contact might have led to them contracting the virus just before they embarked on their cruise, according to two Argentine investigators who shared insights with The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Hantavirus typically spreads when individuals inhale particles from contaminated rodent excrement. While the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that transmission between humans is rare, it remains a possibility.
It was previously reported that neither Ushuaia nor the greater Tierra del Fuego province had experienced any hantavirus cases.
Images captured health personnel in full protective attire as they transferred patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship to waiting ambulances at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius ship is at the center of an outbreak that has already killed three passengers and sickened several others. Contact tracing is underway across Europe and Africa to track possible spread among passengers who have since disembarked.
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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