A Dutch birdwatcher who visited a landfill site in Argentina has been identified as patient zero in the deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. Ornithologist Leo Schilperoord, 70, boarded the vessel with his wife after a fateful trip to a rubbish tip near Ushuaia, a city at the southern tip of South America.
Details of the Outbreak
Leo Schilperoord and his wife Mirjam, from the small Dutch village of Haulerwijk, had been on a five-month journey across South America. On March 27, they visited a landfill site four miles outside Ushuaia, a location known for rare bird species such as the White-bellied Seedsnipe. The site, shunned by locals and dubbed the “end of the world,” is a popular destination for birdwatchers.
Argentinian authorities believe the couple contracted the Andes strain of hantavirus at the landfill, likely through exposure to infected rodents. Four days after the visit, on April 1, they set sail on the MV Hondius with 112 other passengers. By April 6, Leo reported symptoms including fever, headache, stomach pain, and diarrhoea. He died on the ship five days later, with his body remaining onboard until the vessel docked in St Helena on April 24.
Subsequent Deaths
Mirjam accompanied Leo’s body to South Africa but began feeling unwell. Her condition worsened as she prepared to board a KLM flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam. She was denied clearance to travel and rushed to a hospital, where she died on April 26. A third person from the ship also died.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Saturday that the number of hantavirus cases linked to the outbreak on MV Hondius has risen to six, including three British citizens with confirmed cases.
Obituaries published in the April edition of the Haulerwijk village magazine paid tribute to the couple. “Like birds in flight,” one read. “We will miss you and the stories.”
