A Dutch birdwatcher and his wife have been identified as patient zero in a fatal hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. The pair, who had been on a five-month journey throughout South America, stepped onto the vessel after a trip to a landfill site dubbed the 'end of the world' in Argentina. Tragically, the husband became the first passenger to succumb to the virus while on the ship, and his wife passed away while trying to catch a flight to the Netherlands from South Africa.
A Dutch birdwatcher who ventured to a landfill site dubbed the ' end of the world ' has been pinpointed as patient zero in the fatal hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Ornithologist Leo Schilperoord, 70, stepped onto the MV Hondius alongside his wife following an ill-fated trip to the rubbish tip in Argentina. Leo became the first passenger to succumb to the virus while on the vessel. His wife, Mirjam Schilperoord, left the ship with his body but heartbreakingly passed away while trying to catch a flight to the Netherlands from South Africa.
The pair, hailing from Haulerwijk, a modest village of 3,000 residents in the Netherlands, were remembered in obituaries featured in their local monthly village publication, the Sun reports. Before stepping aboard the MV Hondius, Leo and Mirjam had been on a five-month journey throughout South America. On 27th March, they made their way to a landfill site four miles beyond the city of Ushuaia, reports the Mirror .
The sprawling rubbish tip on the town's fringes serves as a habitat for uncommon Patagonian bird species, including the White-bellied Seedsnipe. The location, labelled 'the end of the world' and avoided by locals, draws birdwatching enthusiasts from afar. Argentinian officials suspect the Dutch pair picked up the dreaded Andes strain of the hantavirus at the location, most likely through contact with infected rodents at the waste facility.
Four days later, on April 1, the pair embarked on the MV Hondius from Ushuaia, joining 112 fellow passengers. By April 6, Leo was experiencing fever, headache, stomach pain and diarrhoea. Tragically, he died on the vessel five days afterwards, with his body remaining on board until the ship reached St Helena on 24th April. Mirjam accompanied his body to South Africa but soon began feeling ill herself.
Her condition deteriorated as she prepared to board a KLM flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam. She briefly made it onto the aircraft but was refused permission to fly and was rushed to a South African hospital instead, where she died the following day on April 26. A third passenger from the ship, a German national, has also lost their life.
'Like birds in flight,' read one of the obituaries published in Dutch in the April edition of the Haulerwijk magazine. 'We will miss you and the stories. ' The number of hantavirus cases linked to the outbreak aboard MV Hondius has risen to six, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed on Saturday. Of these, three British nationals have tested positive.
Want to see more of the stories you love from RSVP? To add RSVP as a preferred source of news on Google, simply click here
Hantavirus Outbreak MV Hondius Argentina Patagonian Bird Species White-Bellied Seedsnipe Landfill Site End Of The World Birdwatching Enthusiasts Patagonian Bird Species White-Bellied Seedsnipe Landfill Site End Of The World Birdwatching Enthusiasts
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Three people died in hantavirus outbreak on MV HondiusTwo people have been evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius after an outbreak on the ship. Three people have died in the outbreak, and five people have contracted the virus. The passengers who disembarked in St. Helena have been contacted, and the ship's operator is working to track those who disembarked before the virus was detected.
Read more »
Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius Cruise Ship in ArgentinaThe Foreign Office has issued a warning about hantavirus, a significant health concern in Argentina, following a suspected outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship. Five confirmed cases and three deaths have been reported, with investigators focusing on a Dutch couple as the initial cases. A missing Briton has been located but remains overseas, and the cruise ship is currently voyaging towards the Canary Islands.
Read more »
Suspected cases of hantavirus emerge after MV Hondius departure, affecting 13 countries across four continentsThe UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirms two British nationals have contracted the hantavirus, with a suspected case involving a Briton on Tristan da Cunha. A Dutch woman who fell ill during her travels and later died, and three deaths linked to the outbreak, have been reported. Authorities are tracking passengers who left the ship at various ports.
Read more »
Patient zero in MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak identified as Dutch birdwatcherDutch birdwatcher Leo Schilperoord, 70, was the first passenger to die from hantavirus on board the MV Hondius cruise ship, and his wife Mirjam also died after contracting the deadly virus
Read more »