Birders push back on hantavirus fears tied to Argentine city

Key Points:

• The first hantavirus cases involved a Dutch couple who traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before boarding the Hondius cruise ship in Ushuaia, Argentina, with possible exposure linked to rodent-infested sites visited during their birding trip.
• Argentine officials hypothesize the couple contracted the virus near Ushuaia’s landfill, but local birding guides and authorities dispute this, emphasizing the landfill attracts birds, not hantavirus-carrying rodents, and denying any direct contact with the site.
• The Andes hantavirus strain, capable of human-to-human transmission, was identified on the Hondius and closely matches a strain from a 2018/19 outbreak in Argentina; however, local health officials argue that hantavirus cases are historically absent in Tierra del Fuego province.
• The World Health Organization confirmed ongoing epidemiological investigations and evidence of human-to-human transmission aboard the vessel but has not definitively identified the initial infection source.
• Passengers on the Hondius praised the ship’s stringent hygiene and safety protocols, including thorough disinfection of gear and maintaining distance from wildlife, with the cruise operator adhering to industry and local health guidelines.