Dr. William Schaffner notes that the hantavirus diagnosis was made while people were at sea, and passengers were put into isolation to prevent further transmission.

Dr. William Schaffner states that hantavirus usually is not transmissible from person to person, but the Andes strain can be on occasion.

Dr. William Schaffner states that none of the disembarked persons from the cruise ship have become ill so far.

The World Health Organization is investigating whether a Dutch couple, identified as the index case of the hantavirus outbreak, were infected while sightseeing in Argentina before the cruise.