Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship MV Hondius While the Ebola outbreak in Congo has been the focal point in global health discussions, research on hantaviruses continues unabated.
This week, Argentine health officials have been busy capturing hundreds of forest rats to investigate and pinpoint the source of the outbreak aboard the Hondius.
The prevailing theory posits that the hantavirus outbreak originated in late March. A Dutch couple, Leo and Mirjam Schilperold, contracted the virus while birdwatching at a large landfill near Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
Just five days after departing, Leo fell ill and sadly passed away shortly thereafter. Mirjam disembarked with his body on St. Helena Island on April 24 and then flew to Johannesburg, South Africa, where she also succumbed to the virus the next day. Leo is frequently viewed as the initial case in this outbreak.
However, officials from Tierra del Fuego are contesting this narrative, arguing there’s insufficient evidence to confirm the couple contracted hantavirus in Ushuaia or that Leo’s death was caused by it.
The lengthy incubation period of hantavirus complicates pinpointing the exact timing of infection. While Leo displayed symptoms indicative of the illness, confirmation of the infection has not been established. It’s possible that the virus could have been contracted weeks prior. His voyage included a stop in Ushuaia and another at South Georgia Island, where he continued birdwatching before his health declined, requiring hospitalization.
According to the World Health Organization, Leo was not definitively diagnosed but deemed a “possible infection.” It noted that “no microbiological tests were performed” during his illness, while Mirjam’s PCR test upon her arrival in Johannesburg indicated her death was related to hantavirus.
As part of a broader investigation, authorities set around 150 traps in the forests around Ushuaia to ascertain whether hantavirus-infected rats are present in the area.
The Andean strain of hantavirus, which affected the Hondius, is the only known strain that transmits between humans. Interestingly, infections typically arise through contact with the feces of pygmy rice rats. The specific rat species linked to the Andean strain isn’t often found in Tierra del Fuego, although similar subspecies can be located there.
Argentina’s Malbran Institute plans to continue trapping rats for three days and then send samples to Buenos Aires for detailed hantavirus testing, a process likely to take around a month.
Local officials report that no hantavirus cases have been confirmed in Ushuaia or even in Tierra del Fuego. The state is particularly sensitive regarding the matter as it depends heavily on tourism and wishes to avoid being labeled the starting point of a hantavirus outbreak if it’s eventually traced back elsewhere.
Martín Alfaro, a spokesperson for the Tierra del Fuego health ministry, remarked, “This kind of testing has never been conducted in our state before. It’s crucial to rule out any possibility of an infection here.”
Juan Petrina, head of epidemiology in the state, suggested that the Silpeolds might have contracted the hantavirus elsewhere in Patagonia, which has a known history of outbreaks.
He added, “The epidemiological situation in the region remains stable. There are no reported infections, and it’s been 45 days since the ship departed,” a sentiment echoed last week.
Officials from Patagonia have asserted that the Dutch couple did not traverse through the state during the time frame when they could have been infected. Much of their time was spent in Chile and Uruguay.
