Argentine officials are focusing on a bird-watching tour in Ushuaia as the possible source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship. The investigation centers on a Dutch couple who may have been exposed to rodents during a landfill visit in a region that had never previously recorded a hantavirus case.
Hantavirus typically spreads through inhaling contaminated rodent droppings. The World Health Organization says human-to-human transmission is uncommon but possible.
The outbreak has killed three passengers and sickened several others. Contact tracing is now underway across Europe and Africa.
Testing in Switzerland, South Africa, and Senegal has confirmed the Andes strain, a variant primarily found in Argentina and Chile that can spread through close contact.
Swiss officials report a returning passenger tested positive and was immediately isolated. The WHO Director-General says three suspected cases were evacuated to the Netherlands for treatment.
The WHO maintains that the overall public health risk remains low.