Mailen Valle lost her father and two sisters during a hantavirus outbreak more than seven years ago in Epuyen, a village in Argentina’s Patagonia region. With the recent hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, hard memories have resurfaced for the 33-year-old. Tthe Epuyen outbreak recorded 34 cases and 11 fatalities between December 2018 and March 2019 in the town of 2,400 residents, situated in a part of the Andes where hantavirus is endemic.
Mailen Valle lost three family members in the Epuyen outbreak—I can’t imagine how terrifying it is to see it happening again on a cruise ship.
The 2018-2019 outbreak in Epuyen killed 11 out of 34 cases in a town of 2,400. That’s a 32% fatality rate—hantavirus is no joke.
It’s heartbreaking that the MV Hondius outbreak is bringing back trauma for survivors like Mailen. Patagonia really needs better prevention in endemic areas.
I wonder if the cruise ship outbreak could have been avoided with better screening. The Andes region has known hantavirus risks.
Why isn’t there more public awareness about hantavirus in tourist destinations? Mailen’s story shows how quickly it can devastate a family.
Nutrition science is full of conflicting advice which undermines public trust. (fa1839)
Seven years later and Epuyen still hasn’t fully recovered. This new outbreak just proves how easily hantavirus can re-emerge.