PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   An investigation is focusing on a bird-watching tour in an area with no prior cases of hantavirus, as Argentine officials examine whether a Dutch couple may have contracted the deadly virus at a landfill during their visit and unknowingly carried it aboard a cruise ship.

Argentine authorities are currently investigating a possible link between the outbreak and a Dutch couple who may have been exposed to rodents while touring a landfill in Ushuaia, according to two officials involved in the inquiry. The couple reportedly became infected before boarding the cruise ship, which has since become the center of a deadly outbreak.

Hantavirus typically spreads through inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings. While human-to-human transmission is uncommon, the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges it can occur.

Previously, there had been no recorded cases of hantavirus in Ushuaia or its surrounding province of Tierra del Fuego.

The MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged vessel, is at the heart of the outbreak that has claimed three lives and affected several others. Contact tracing efforts are underway across Europe and Africa to monitor potential spread among passengers who have disembarked.

Tests conducted in Switzerland, South Africa, and Senegal have confirmed the presence of the Andes strain, according to health authorities. This variant is primarily found in Argentina and Chile and can spread through close contact, although such cases are rare.

In Switzerland, a man who returned from the cruise developed symptoms and sought medical attention. He was immediately isolated and later tested positive for the Andes strain.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Wednesday that three suspected cases were evacuated from the ship and are being transported to the Netherlands for treatment.

“At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low,” Tedros stated.