Hantavirus Cruise Ship 'Patient Zero' Suspected of Infection in Argentina, Local Officials Deny
Reports suggested a Dutch ornithologist, identified as the 'patient zero' of a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, might have been infected in Argentina. However, local public health officials refuted this, stating it's unlikely.
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- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 18:07
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(Central News Agency, Buenos Aires, May 11, comprehensive foreign wire report) Media recently reported that a Dutch ornithologist was suspected to be the 'patient zero' of a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, and may have been infected while birdwatching in Ushuaia, Argentina. However, local public health officials refuted this claim, deeming it unlikely.
The New York Post reported that 70-year-old Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord and his 69-year-old wife Mirjam Schilperoord were on a five-month South American trip, having traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.
In late March, the couple visited a landfill in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina. This landfill has become a pilgrimage site for birdwatchers worldwide due to the opportunity to see the rare white-throated caracara.
Argentine authorities suspect that the Schilperoords inhaled suspended particles containing excrement from long-tailed pygmy rice rats there. This type of rat can transmit the Andes strain, currently the only known type of hantavirus that can be transmitted from person to person.
The couple boarded the MV Hondius cruise ship in Ushuaia on April 1. Schilperoord reported symptoms such as fever, headache, stomach pain, and diarrhea on April 6, and passed away on board five days later.
Mirjam disembarked with her husband's body on Saint Helena Island in the Atlantic on April 24 and flew to Johannesburg, South Africa. Her condition worsened while preparing for a connecting flight back to the Netherlands, and she even fainted at the airport, passing away the next day.
BBC News reported that Ushuaia has long enjoyed the reputation of being the "End of the World," serving not only as a gateway to Antarctica but also allowing tourists to explore the magnificent natural scenery of Patagonia. However, it has recently been overshadowed by the suspicion of being the origin of a hantavirus outbreak.
Juan Facundo Petrina, head of epidemiology and environmental health for Tierra del Fuego province, stated: "There has never been a hantavirus case in Tierra del Fuego province historically."
Petrina emphasized that the possibility of Tierra del Fuego province being the source of infection is very low, as the hantavirus endemic area is located more than 1,500 kilometers north of the region.
He said: "Firstly, there are no long-tailed rats (that can transmit hantavirus) here, and climatic conditions such as humidity and temperature are also different from northern Patagonia, making it unsuitable for the species to grow and reproduce."
He pointed out that even if rodents migrate, Tierra del Fuego is an island after all, and long-tailed rats would have to cross the Strait of Magellan to infect local rats.
Although many experts agree with Petrina that Tierra del Fuego province is unlikely to be the source of infection, the Argentine central government still announced that it would send a team of experts to investigate and confirm whether hantavirus is present in the area or whether long-tailed rats have reached the region.
Argentine epidemiologist Eduardo Lopez pointed out that it is indeed necessary to conduct further investigations in Tierra del Fuego province because the ecosystem is changing.
Lopez said: "For example, long-tailed pygmy rice rats originally inhabited the Patagonian Andes and northwestern Argentina, but are now found in Buenos Aires province, as well as other rodents that can transmit hantavirus."
Petrina agreed that the Schilperoords were most likely infected within Argentina, but he believes they were infected 2 to 4 weeks before boarding the cruise ship, and the infection site could have been in the Patagonian mountains, such as Chubut province, Neuquén province, or Río Negro province.
This incident not only concerns public health but also affects the local economy. Tierra del Fuego province is Argentina's youngest and least populated province, with economic activities mainly focused on oil and gas exploration and fishing, but tourism is also an important source of income. (Editor: Hung Pei-ying) 1150511
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The New York Post reported that 70-year-old Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord and his 69-year-old wife Mirjam Schilperoord were on a five-month South American trip, having traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.
In late March, the couple visited a landfill in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina. This landfill has become a pilgrimage site for birdwatchers worldwide due to the opportunity to see the rare white-throated caracara.
Argentine authorities suspect that the Schilperoords inhaled suspended particles containing excrement from long-tailed pygmy rice rats there. This type of rat can transmit the Andes strain, currently the only known type of hantavirus that can be transmitted from person to person.
The couple boarded the MV Hondius cruise ship in Ushuaia on April 1. Schilperoord reported symptoms such as fever, headache, stomach pain, and diarrhea on April 6, and passed away on board five days later.
Mirjam disembarked with her husband's body on Saint Helena Island in the Atlantic on April 24 and flew to Johannesburg, South Africa. Her condition worsened while preparing for a connecting flight back to the Netherlands, and she even fainted at the airport, passing away the next day.
BBC News reported that Ushuaia has long enjoyed the reputation of being the "End of the World," serving not only as a gateway to Antarctica but also allowing tourists to explore the magnificent natural scenery of Patagonia. However, it has recently been overshadowed by the suspicion of being the origin of a hantavirus outbreak.
Juan Facundo Petrina, head of epidemiology and environmental health for Tierra del Fuego province, stated: "There has never been a hantavirus case in Tierra del Fuego province historically."
Petrina emphasized that the possibility of Tierra del Fuego province being the source of infection is very low, as the hantavirus endemic area is located more than 1,500 kilometers north of the region.
He said: "Firstly, there are no long-tailed rats (that can transmit hantavirus) here, and climatic conditions such as humidity and temperature are also different from northern Patagonia, making it unsuitable for the species to grow and reproduce."
He pointed out that even if rodents migrate, Tierra del Fuego is an island after all, and long-tailed rats would have to cross the Strait of Magellan to infect local rats.
Although many experts agree with Petrina that Tierra del Fuego province is unlikely to be the source of infection, the Argentine central government still announced that it would send a team of experts to investigate and confirm whether hantavirus is present in the area or whether long-tailed rats have reached the region.
Argentine epidemiologist Eduardo Lopez pointed out that it is indeed necessary to conduct further investigations in Tierra del Fuego province because the ecosystem is changing.
Lopez said: "For example, long-tailed pygmy rice rats originally inhabited the Patagonian Andes and northwestern Argentina, but are now found in Buenos Aires province, as well as other rodents that can transmit hantavirus."
Petrina agreed that the Schilperoords were most likely infected within Argentina, but he believes they were infected 2 to 4 weeks before boarding the cruise ship, and the infection site could have been in the Patagonian mountains, such as Chubut province, Neuquén province, or Río Negro province.
This incident not only concerns public health but also affects the local economy. Tierra del Fuego province is Argentina's youngest and least populated province, with economic activities mainly focused on oil and gas exploration and fishing, but tourism is also an important source of income. (Editor: Hung Pei-ying) 1150511
Stand with the facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.