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Who was Leo Schilperoord? 5 things to know about Hantavirus 'Patient Zero' in cruise ship outbreak
Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord is identified as a suspected patient zero in a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. Investigators link the infection to a landfill near Ushuaia, Argentina, and detail the sequence of boarding, illness, and deaths, with WHO noting multiple fatalities.
Why It Matters
The timeline shows how a travel-associated outbreak can unfold across multiple countries, underscoring the importance of exposure tracing and rapid public health response.
Timeline
8 Events
May 10, 2026: WHO reports at least three deaths
May 10, 2026
The World Health Organization confirms the hantavirus outbreak has claimed at least three lives, including Leo Schilperoord and his wife Mirjam.
April 25, 2026: Mirjam dies after collapsing at the airport
April 25, 2026
Mirjam Schilperoord dies after collapsing at the airport during her attempt to reach the Netherlands.
April 24, 2026: Mirjam exits ship with Leo's body at Santa Helena
April 24, 2026
At a scheduled stop on the Atlantic island of Santa Helena, Mirjam Schilperoord, along with Leo's body, disembarks. She travels to Johannesburg, then boards a KLM flight toward the Netherlands but is deemed too ill to travel by the crew.
April 11, 2026: Leo dies aboard the Hondius
April 11, 2026
Leo Schilperoord dies aboard the MV Hondius.
April 6, 2026: Leo develops hantavirus symptoms
April 6, 2026
Leo Schilperoord begins showing hantavirus symptoms, including fever, diarrhoea, headache, and stomach pain.
March 31, 2026: Boarding the MV Hondius in Ushuaia
March 31, 2026
Four days after the landfill visit, the couple boarded the MV Hondius in Ushuaia together with more than 100 passengers who were scientists or birdwatchers.
March 27, 2026: Suspected exposure at Ushuaia landfill
March 27, 2026
Authorities believe Leo and Mirjam Schilperoord were exposed to Andes hantavirus at a landfill near Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, where the site is known for rat activity and potential contamination from feces or urine of long-tailed pygmy rice rats.
1984: Schilperoord couple co-authored pink-footed geese study
1984
Leo Schilperoord and his wife Mirjam co-authored a study on pink-footed geese in the Dutch ornithological magazine Het Vogeljaar.