I don't know that all are following but I did not see a post on this site.
My reading suggests:
- Andes Hantavirus has caused deaths on cruise ship
- It is typically contracted by humans through contact with the droppings, urine, or saliva of infected rodents (specifically the long-tailed pygmy rice rat). Typically it is caught through dust that has rat droppings. More often happens with clearing of dusty cabins etc. eg it has airborne decease that affects your lungs.
- Speculation is that exposure occurred at a landfill site, in Ushuaia (southern most point in south america which is the gateway to cruises flights to Antartica. Possibly at landfill area with lots of vegatation spoils. This would have attracted rats.But the vector couple were reported? to have spent lots of time up and down chile/argentina border shooting birds.
- It can take 1 to 8 weeks for symptoms to show
- The Andes Hantavirus is transmittable between humans after exposure. But it requires close contact - eating together, travelling together.
- A small but significant percent of the Andes vector (rat) has the virus (eg <10%?)
- The Long-tailed Pygmy Rice Rat is strictly a South American species. Its range is typically bounded by the Atacama Desert in the north and the Patagonian steppe in the east. It does not exist in the Northern Hemisphere eg along the Chile/Argentine border.
- There is no cure. There is thought to be high mortality (eg 30%). I think its lower (eg 10%) and just undererported because - only serious cases that require treatment get reported. But i have read that a smalll but signiicant (eg <10%) or so of people in Andes Hantavirus have signs of exposure. Maybe they find that it is a specific variant from a specific area or it was not caught in SA.
- The likley human vector were a bird photography couple that spent lots of time going south to Ushuaia, in the region that has the rat vector, because of photography tours near landfills. Then close contact on the cruise ship and long time for symptoms, caused more infection. Likely an elderly population and older age demagraphic and closed spaces on cruise, caused more deaths. In my mind, the couple could have aquired the decease further north in chile or Argentina.
- There are Hantavirus local to North America (vector deer mouse) but this Andes version is not present. And the northern version does not pass human to human. The North America version is still deadly, just not passable between humans, thus less risk, aside from hanging out in dusty structures near deer mouse.
My speculation: Rat population is cyclic and this could be an upcycle. This desease could be in most places in Chile/South America - it may have just shown up on the cruise because people are notice deaths on cruise ships. Cruise ships are more confined and it has long time to symptoms, with older people that are more at risk of death. Lots of deaths might be missed because it might be considered flu.
My tentative conclusion: Until its studied and reported, I would go to south america for birding photography but avoid landfills, closed old buildings, sharing tents, and air out latrines before use. Wear a mask with birders in enclosed spaces. If you are taking transit avoid dirty/dusty modes.Take the same precautions when exploring old buildings, sharing space (hostels, latrines) when travelling elsewhere. And update your understanding after the final reports. As always buy trip cancellation, evacuation, and medical insurance when you are out of country.
Do your own research and don't assume I am right. I am not medically trained. I am just being directionally helpful, based on my reading/understanding. I continue to muse about returning to patagonia (which has low prevalence of this rat) and was curious, and read about it.
