Ushuaia Officials Rule Out Local Hantavirus Link in MV Hondius Deaths

Health officials in Argentina have concluded there is an almost zero probability that a Dutch national who died of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship contracted the illness in the port of Ushuaia.

Juan Petrina, the director of epidemiology for the Tierra del Fuego province, where Ushuaia is located, announced the assessment on May 8, 2026. The determination follows an investigation into the deaths of a Dutch man and his wife, both of whom succumbed to the virus after boarding the expedition vessel.

The MV Hondius is an expedition cruise ship that operates in remote regions, including the southernmost reaches of South America. The investigation sought to determine if the couple had been exposed to the virus during their time in the Argentine port city, which serves as a primary gateway for Antarctic and Patagonian expeditions.

Epidemiological Assessment

Petrina stated that the conclusion was primarily based on the virus’s incubation period. Hantaviruses typically have an incubation period ranging from one to eight weeks, during which the infected individual shows no symptoms while the virus replicates in the body.

By analyzing the timeline between the couple’s presence in Ushuaia and the onset of their symptoms, health officials determined that the timing did not align with a local infection. This suggests that the exposure likely occurred elsewhere, either before their arrival in the port or at a different location along the ship’s itinerary.

There is an “almost zero” chance that the Dutch man linked to the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship contracted the disease in the Argentine port of Ushuaia.Juan Petrina, director of epidemiology for Tierra del Fuego province

Hantavirus Risks in South America

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a severe respiratory disease. In the Americas, it is primarily transmitted to humans through the inhalation of aerosolized particles from the saliva, urine, or feces of infected rodents.

In the Southern Cone, particularly in the Andes regions of Argentina and Chile, the Andes virus (ANDV) is the most prevalent strain. Unlike many other hantaviruses, the Andes strain is notable for its rare but documented ability to spread through direct human-to-human transmission, which increases the complexity of managing outbreaks in confined environments such as cruise ships.

The Tierra del Fuego province and surrounding Patagonian wilderness are known habitats for the long-tailed pygmy rice rat, a primary carrier of the virus in the region. Public health agencies in Chile and Argentina frequently issue warnings to travelers and hikers to avoid enclosed spaces, such as old sheds or cabins, where rodent droppings may have accumulated.

The World Health Organization monitors these occurrences due to the high fatality rate associated with the pulmonary syndrome and the potential for regional spread through tourism and international travel.

The deaths of the Dutch couple have prompted a review of health protocols for expedition cruises operating in the South American Andes and Antarctic corridors to ensure that passengers are aware of the risks associated with rural excursions in the region.