Boston influencer describes early days of hantavirus outbreak
The Boston Globe • • health
Key Points:
- Jake Rosmarin, a Boston-based travel influencer, expressed relief after being evacuated and quarantined following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship in the South Atlantic, where three people have died.
- The outbreak began with a Dutch passenger falling ill less than a week into the trip; 11 people have shown symptoms and nine cases have been confirmed, with the virus possibly contracted before boarding in Argentina.
- Hantavirus, typically spread through rodent droppings and rarely between people, caused fear among passengers once identified, with symptoms including fever, chills, and muscle aches appearing within one to eight weeks of exposure.
- Rosmarin and 14 other Americans are quarantined in Omaha, Nebraska, while health officials emphasize the low risk to the general public; he remains symptom-free but prepared for a 42-day isolation period.
- The Hondius was on a monthlong voyage to remote South Atlantic islands, and additional passengers with New England ties were aboard, though their quarantine status remains unclear.