Argentina probes possible connection to hantavirus outbreak on cruise vessel

Health Officials in Argentina to Conduct Rodent Testing Amid Hantavirus Outbreak

The Argentine Ministry of Health has announced plans to send experts to the southern region of Ushuaia to capture and test rodents, which are believed to be the primary carriers of a deadly hantavirus. The move comes as authorities investigate whether the country is the source of an outbreak that has claimed several lives on board an Atlantic cruise ship.

Three people, including a Dutch couple and a German national, have died from the virus, while eight others are suspected of having contracted it. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the number of cases has risen to 8, with three confirmed as hantavirus by laboratory testing.

The cruise ship, currently stuck off the coast of Cape Verde, departed for Spain on Wednesday after three people were evacuated, two of whom were seriously ill. They will be taken to the Netherlands for treatment.

Health authorities have stated that the risk to the general public remains low, and that the virus spreads more slowly than previous diseases such as COVID-19. The WHO has emphasized the importance of close contact in human-to-human transmission, which is distinct from other diseases like influenza.

The Argentine Health Ministry has reported 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025, nearly twice the number recorded over the same period last year. Climate change has been linked to an increase in virus cases, as warming conditions expand the territory of rodents that can spread the disease.

Experts have noted that Argentina’s changing climate has brought new challenges, including disruptions from diseases like dengue and yellow fever, as well as the proliferation of plants that produce seeds for mice to thrive. The WHO will continue to work with countries to provide support and information to those affected by the outbreak.

Source: Al Jazeera