What Happened on the Hantavirus Cruise, According to a Doctor on Board

"Since the MV Hondius departed, at least eight people have come down with suspected or confirmed cases of hantavirus; three have died. People typically get infected by the virus via the aerosolized feces or other bodily secretions of infected rodents. But the World Health Organization has confirmed that this hantavirus is a species called Andes virus, which has sometimes spread person to person, under conditions of close and prolonged contact—such as, say, on a cruise ship with about 150 people on board."

"A medical oncologist based in Bend, Oregon, Kornfeld is also an avid birder—second on eBird's renowned rankings of birders worldwide—and the ship would visit several remote islands, where he might spot some of the globe's most obscure avians. But last week, Kornfeld's trip took an unexpected twist: He stepped in to care for three people thought to be sick with hantavirus, a severe respiratory pathogen that can kill roughly half of the people it infects."

"When a 70-year-old Dutch man, one of the birders, died aboard on April 11, Kornfeld and the others were shaken but considered the incident a freak accident, with no implications for anyone else on board. But then, roughly two weeks later, the Dutch man's wife fell sick, too, dying shortly after she was taken off the ship."

The MV Hondius cruise ship, carrying approximately 150 passengers including numerous birders, encountered a severe hantavirus outbreak caused by Andes virus. Initially, a 70-year-old Dutch birder died on April 11, which was considered an isolated incident. However, subsequent cases emerged, including the Dutch man's wife and a British birder who required evacuation to a South African ICU. At least eight people developed suspected or confirmed hantavirus infections, with three fatalities. Andes virus typically spreads through aerosolized rodent secretions but can transmit person-to-person under conditions of close, prolonged contact—conditions present on the crowded vessel. A medical oncologist and avid birder aboard the ship, Stephen Kornfeld, transitioned from passenger to physician, providing medical care to infected individuals.

Read at The Atlantic