health
May 7, 2026
“We weren’t informed of any illness”: passengers recount confusion on cruise ship with hantavirus
The initial tranquility of passengers turned into concern after the death of a person at sea. The cruise ship, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, remains under recommendations for isolation in cabins while the causes of infection are investigated.
TL;DR
- Passengers reported no preventive measures or information about contagious diseases during the first days of the cruise.
- Social routines, including gatherings and lack of masks, continued as normal.
- A passenger's death was initially attributed to natural causes but later discovered to be from an infection acquired before boarding.
- The infection is believed to be the Andes virus, a variant of hantavirus found in Argentina and Chile.
- Andes virus has a rare but documented human-to-human transmission.
- The incubation period of up to six weeks is causing concern for passengers and health authorities regarding a potential onboard outbreak.