Authorities investigating the deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to a South American cruise have identified the first known victim as Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord, whose lifelong passion for birdwatching may have exposed him to the fatal virus.

Schilperoord, 70, and his wife, Mirjam Schilperoord, 69, had been traveling throughout South America for roughly five months before both became ill and died. The couple began their trip in Argentina on Nov. 27 before continuing through Chile and Uruguay and eventually returning to Argentina in late March for what became their final birdwatching excursion.

The Schilperoords, residents of the Dutch village of Haulerwijk, were identified through memorial notices published in their local community magazine.

The pair shared a longstanding interest in ornithology and had written together about pink-footed geese for the Dutch birding publication Het Vogeljaar in 1984. Over the years, they traveled extensively in pursuit of rare species, including what was described as an “unforgettable” private wildlife and birdwatching trip to Sri Lanka in 2013, during which they enthusiastically documented spotting the elusive Serendib Scops Owl.

After returning to Argentina on March 27, the couple visited a massive landfill located several miles outside the southern city of Ushuaia.

Though local residents largely avoid the garbage-strewn site, it has become a destination for international birdwatchers seeking sightings of the white-throated caracara, also known as Darwin’s caracara after Charles Darwin, who first collected the species.

Investigators in Argentina believe the couple may have contracted the virus there after inhaling contaminated particles from the droppings of long-tailed pygmy rice rats, known carriers of the Andes strain of hantavirus. That strain is considered especially dangerous because it is the only known form capable of spreading from person to person.

“It is common for birdwatchers to visit landfills because there are many birds there,” Gastón Bretti, a photographer and local guide told Ansa Latina.

“It’s a mountain of waste that today far exceeds the limit initially established by the authorities,” he said of the unsightly place.

On April 1, just days after the landfill visit, the couple boarded the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius in Ushuaia along with 112 other passengers, many of whom were scientists or birdwatchers.

Leo Schilperoord reportedly developed symptoms including fever, headaches, stomach pain, and diarrhea on April 6. He died aboard the vessel five days later.

Mirjam later disembarked from the ship together with her husband’s body during a scheduled stop at the Atlantic island of Saint Helena on April 24. She then traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, where she attempted to board a KLM flight back to the Netherlands.

According to reports, airline personnel determined she was too ill to continue traveling and removed her from the flight. She collapsed at the airport and died the following day.

“Like birds in flight,” read one of the obituaries published in Dutch in the April issue of the Haulerwijk magazine. “We will miss you and the stories.”

Health officials are continuing to monitor potential exposure cases connected to the cruise. At least seven Americans who had traveled aboard the MV Hondius were reportedly on Mirjam Schilperoord’s April 25 Airlink flight to Johannesburg before returning to the United States, including two residents of New Jersey.

{Matzav.com}