health

May 8, 2026

This was the itinerary of the Dutch couple considered "patient zero" for hantavirus, where did they get infected?

The cruise ship MV Hondius, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, and is currently stranded with 147 people on board due to a hantavirus outbreak, has the world's attention...

This was the itinerary of the Dutch couple considered "patient zero" for hantavirus, where did they get infected?

TL;DR

  • The MV Hondius cruise ship is stranded with 147 people due to a hantavirus outbreak.
  • The outbreak is linked to a Dutch couple who traveled extensively in South America before boarding.
  • The couple's itinerary included Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay from November 2025 to March.
  • The Andes strain of hantavirus, known for human-to-human transmission, is a concern.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the global epidemic risk as 'extremely low'.
  • A leading hypothesis suggests the couple contracted the virus through contact with rodent excrement during wildlife observation.

Continue reading the original article