New evidence surrounding the origin of the deadly strain of Hantavirus linked to the deaths of three cruise ship passengers is brought to light by a Mail on Sunday report.
The “ground zero” of the outbreak is reportedly likely to be around 1,500 miles north of the area originally thought to be the source of transmission in Argentina.
Initial reports linked the outbreak to a large landfill and bird-watching area in Ushuaia, at the southern tip of the country. However, newer evidence suggests that the Dutch couple who allegedly carried the virus on the MV Hondius cruise ship had previously travelled to northern Patagonia, an area where dozens of confirmed cases and deaths have been recorded in recent months.
The director of epidemiology for the province of Tierra del Fuego, Juan Petrina, said the virus has never been seen in Ushuaia and estimated that the couple were almost certainly infected in northern Patagonia before moving south.
As he explained, this particular strain of the virus – known as the “Andean strain” – is mainly found in the provinces of Neuquén, Rio Negro and Chubut, and the incubation period of the virus reinforces the possibility that the infection occurred several days before boarding the ship.
The Argentine Ministry of Health said a coordinated investigation is underway with health authorities in all provinces of the country to fully map the couple’s travels and identify the initial source of the outbreak.
