Hantavirus: "Patient Zero" - A Dutch scientist visited a rodent-infested landfill
Hantavirus continues to capture the attention of many amid anticipation and fear of its severity and the possibility that it could turn into an epidemic similar to the coronavirus that isolated the world from each other about 6 years ago. Many are wondering about the identity of the so-called "patient zero," that is, the patient who was first infected and caused the spread of the virus or disease. As has become known, the Hantavirus, which is transmitted through contamination with rodent droppings or a rat or rodent bite carrying the virus, spread on board the cruise ship "Hondus," which set sail from Argentina on a transatlantic cruise. Because the disease begins with a stage of infection with the virus and then an "incubation" stage before it begins to spread, the spread of the Hanta virus must have begun earlier than the detection of the infection and the spread of the disease or epidemic, at a time prior to the start of the cruise ship Hondus. The OpenSource Intel account on the X platform revealed the "Patient Zero" who caused the spread of the Hanta virus on board the cruise ship Hondius. The account posted: "A bird-watching trip in southern Argentina is believed to have caused the outbreak of the deadly Hantavirus on board the Antarctic-bound cruise ship MV Hondios." "It is likely that the 70-year-old Dutch ornithologist Leo Schielbrod contracted the Andean strain after visiting a rodent-infested landfill near Ushuaia before boarding the ship on April 1," he explained. He added, "He died on April 11 after showing flu-like symptoms. His wife, Miriam, later died, as well as a German passenger." The post concluded by saying, "At least 7 cases have been linked to this outbreak. Health officials say the overall risk to the public remains low." On Sunday, the evacuation of about 100 passengers and crew members from the Hantavirus-infected cruise ship MV Hondios began at a port on the Spanish island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, according to the Spanish Ministry of Health. The ministry explained on its Telegram platform at 08:30 GMT that "the disembarkation of the Spanish passengers and the Spanish crew member has begun." The World Health Organization has so far recorded six confirmed cases of hantavirus out of eight suspected cases, including three deaths from this rare but well-known virus for which there is no vaccine or treatment. This disease can cause severe respiratory syndrome, but the World Health Organization has stressed that it is "not like COVID-19," which caused a pandemic that is still fresh in the minds of the world. The MV Hondos entered the small port of Granadilla de Abona in the south of Tenerife in the Atlantic Ocean at approximately 7:00 AM (5:00 AM GMT). Part of the crew will remain on board as the ship continues its journey to the Netherlands. From this industrial port, Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia Gomez announced during a press conference on Sunday that the final evacuation flight for passengers of the MV Hondius would take place on Monday, "and its destination will be Australia." She explained to the press that shortly after the cruise ship arrived off the Canary Islands at 7:30 a.m. (06:30 GMT), officials from the Ministry of Health boarded the ship and are currently conducting medical examinations of about 100 passengers and crew scheduled to be evacuated. Garcia confirmed that "all passengers are asymptomatic." The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed during a press conference held Saturday evening at the port, where he will oversee operations, that "Spain is ready and prepared." On the other hand, British army personnel carried out an airdrop to provide urgent medical assistance to a person infected with the virus on Tristan da Cunha Island in the South Atlantic, British ministers announced on Sunday. One of three British citizens diagnosed with the virus is on the island. A statement from the British Ministry of Defence said the team, consisting of six paratroopers and two military medics, landed from a Royal Air Force A400M aircraft in a "daring" parachute drop operation.
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