90-Second Read: Tourist hotspot at 'end of the world' denies causing Hantavirus outbreak

The BBC visits the city of Ushuaia, where heath officials have been sent to investigate the origins of the outbreak. But in recent days it has been grappling with a different kind of fame, one that has cast a shadow over local businesses and officials: the suggestion it could be 'ground zero' for the Hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch vessel MV Hondius. In Tierra del Fuego we have no record of Hantavirus cases in our history," Juan Facundo Petrina, the province's Director General of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, said. As Argentina's southernmost city, Ushuaia has long enjoyed its reputation as 'The End of the World' and as a gateway for trips both to Antarctica and for tourists to explore the dramatic, natural beauty of Patagonia. The cruise ship, which is.

One theory suggests a passenger may have been infected at a landfill site on the outskirts of Ushuaia, where tourists often visit to watch birds and where waste attracts rats and mice. He has stressed that his province is an unlikely source of the infection and that the endemic zone for Hantavirus lies more than 1,500km (930 miles) to the north. We cannot rule out, in principle, that the infections occurred in Tierra del Fuego, but there is an important fact to consider: since Hantavirus became a notifiable disease, no cases have ever been reported in the province. Argentinian officials who spoke anonymously to some news outlets have said that is their leading hypothesis. And if rodents were to start moving, since they don't respect geographical boundaries, it's important to.

We've been working hard in our main markets and we don't want something like this to overshadow everything that's been done to prioritise people's health." At Ushuaia's port, life appears to be continuing as normal. Tourists stroll along the waterfront and gather for shorter excursions, to Isla de los Estados, home to the famous "end of the world" lighthouse, or along the Beagle Channel. People ask whether there are infections in the province, and the fact there are no reports of sick people here brings calm. Chilean and Uruguayan authorities say the couple did not contract the virus in those countries, based on the World Health Organization's estimated incubation period of between one and eight weeks. On board were 114 passengers and 61 crew members from 22 countries.

I told her not to worry because there were no confirmed cases here." Nearby, Costa Rican tourist Jordan Bermúdez said his group went ahead with their plans. But for now, without the Dutch couple to fill in the gaps and officials unable to fully reconstruct their travels, many questions about how this outbreak started remain unanswered. While the virus is believed to have come aboard there, its precise origin, and the identity of those carrying it, remains unclear. That uncertainty has fuelled intense speculation in parts of the media. With more than 500 port calls a year, the cruise industry is fundamental to the provincial economy." So far, despite a surge in inquiries from international operators, there have been no official cruise cancellations.