Dutch Man, 70 (Index Case)

The multi-country genetic analysis published on Virological.org maps the Dutch index patient to 'Case 1' and confirms 'No samples were available for case 1' - no postmortem genetic sequencing was performed. His body was disembarked at Saint Helena two weeks after death without samples retained. Lab confirmation is therefore not anticipated; the probable-case classification is expected to be terminal

• virological.org
• who.int

An Argentine Ministry of Health report (May 6) detailed his four-month pre-boarding road trip: arrived Argentina November 27 2025, 40 days by car before crossing to Chile January 7, entered Neuquen province January 31, returned to Chile February 12, crossed to Mendoza, then a 20-day road trip to Misiones reached March 13, overland to Uruguay the same day, returned to Argentina March 27 and continued to Ushuaia, boarded the ship April 1. No antemortem samples were taken because symptoms initially resembled other respiratory illness and hantavirus was not suspected at the time. His body was removed from the ship at Saint Helena on April 24, two weeks postmortem. The Argentine Ministry of Health and the Malbran Institute are trapping and testing rodents along his route and conducting contact tracing. Reclassified as a probable case (rather than laboratory-confirmed) because no antemortem samples exist

• who.int

Per the WHO Disease Outbreak News, no microbiological tests were performed on the index case before death. Lab confirmation exists only for his wife. Exposure refined to the Ushuaia 'relleno sanitario' landfill on March 27 - a known birdwatching site for white-throated caracara

• who.int

[Created 2026-05-04] Dutch male, age 70. The index patient of the outbreak. He and his wife had spent four months travelling through South America, including time in Chile and in regions of Argentina where the Andes virus circulates in wild rodents. Suspected primary exposure during a birdwatching excursion to a landfill near Ushuaia, Argentina, on March 27 - a known birdwatching site for white-throated caracara - where he likely inhaled aerosolised particles from infected rodent droppings. The couple boarded the MV Hondius at Ushuaia on April 1. Symptoms began April 6 (fever, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhoea) and he deteriorated rapidly. He died aboard ship on April 11 while at sea between South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha. His body was disembarked at Saint Helena on April 24

WHO Disease Outbreak News, Wikipedia, oceanwide-expeditions.com