Ushuaia, Argentina's southernmost city known as 'The End of the World,' is fighting accusations that it sparked a hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius. The ship had 114 passengers and 61 crew from 22 countries. One theory suggests a passenger caught the virus at a landfill outside Ushuaia-a bird-watching spot infested with rodents. Local authorities deny this, pointing to zero hantavirus cases in Tierra del Fuego since 1996.
Dr. Juan Facundo Petrina, the province's epidemiology director, said the long-tailed mouse that carries hantavirus doesn't exist in the region, and Tierra del Fuego is separated by the Strait of Magellan. Argentina's national government is sending experts to test rats at the site. Meanwhile, the economy is at risk, as cruises to Antarctica are a key revenue driver. Tourists remain undeterred so far, but the source of infection remains unknown. Officials suspect a Dutch couple who died of the virus may be 'patient zero.'