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How a rare bird search turned a Dutch birdwatcher into 'patient zero' of a deadly cruise outbreak

Investigators believe the couple may have been exposed to the virus on March 27 during a visit to a landfill site outside Ushuaia.

3 min read May 10, 2026 12:25 PM IST First published on: May 10, 2026 at 12:25 PM IST

A Spanish Civil Guard officer inspects the area where passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship are expected to arrive at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. (Photo: AP/ Leo Schilperoord/ Facebook)

A 70-year-old Dutch birdwatcher was identified as the first known case of the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, MV Hondius, according to reports by the New York Post .

Leo Schilperoord, an ornithologist from the Netherlands, is believed to have contracted the virus during a birdwatching trip to a landfill site near Ushuaia ahead of boarding the vessel.

‘Patient zero’ identified

Schilperoord and his wife, Mirjam Schilperoord, had been travelling across…