What began as a dream Antarctic expedition turned into a global health scare after a rare hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius went undetected for weeks, leaving three passengers dead and others critically ill even while nearly 150 people, including two Indian crew members, remain on the ship
What began as a luxury Antarctic expedition has turned into one of the strangest and deadliest infectious disease outbreaks in recent years.
The MV Hondius, operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, left Argentina on April 1 for a cruise across Antarctica and the South Atlantic. Weeks later, passengers found themselves confined to cabins while health authorities across several continents raced to trace passenger infected with Andes hantavirus, a rare but highly dangerous strain found mainly in Argentina and Chile.
The MV Hondius, operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, left Argentina on April 1 for a cruise across Antarctica and the South Atlantic. Weeks later, passengers found themselves confined to cabins while health authorities across several continents raced to trace passenger infected with Andes hantavirus, a rare but highly dangerous strain found mainly in Argentina and Chile.