Argentina Reports Dutch Couple Among 3 Deaths from Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship

Argentine authorities are investigating a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, which departed from southern Argentina. The virus typically spreads through contact with contaminated rodent droppings, and human-to-human transmission is rare, occurring only through close contact. A Dutch couple, who are among the 3 deaths, are believed to have been infected during a bird-watching tour in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego before boarding. Officials noted the couple visited a waste disposal site during the tour, potentially exposing them to disease-carrying rodents, though investigations continue as the region has never reported hantavirus cases. The UN health agency reported that three suspected hantavirus patients were evacuated from the cruise ship to hospitals while the vessel remained anchored off Cape Verde with nearly 150 passengers awaiting travel to Spain's Canary Islands. Health officials in protective gear evacuated patients from the ship, including the ship's doctor, whose condition has improved after initially being severe. Spain's health ministry stated the passenger arrival poses no public health risk. The WHO confirmed 3 deaths, with at least 8 infected individuals total and 3 laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases. Authorities have begun tracking at-risk individuals in Europe and Africa to identify suspected cases who disembarked earlier. The three evacuated patients are a 41-year-old Dutch national, a 56-year-old British citizen, and a 65-year-old German national who will be sent immediately to specialized hospitals in Europe. The Netherlands confirmed it will accept one patient while Germany is preparing for a second. Oceanwide Expeditions stated two patients remain in critical condition while the third is asymptomatic but in close contact with confirmed cases.