Argentina is facing global scrutiny after three people died from hantavirus on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, which departed from Argentina bound for Cape Verde. The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating whether transmission occurred before boarding, though it has ruled out an epidemic.
The Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread between humans, was confirmed in surviving passengers. This strain is primarily found in parts of Argentina and Chile. However, Argentine scientists say the country is not facing a new threat, as hantavirus has been present for decades.
Since July last year, Argentina has recorded 101 hantavirus cases with 32 deaths, a slight increase from previous seasons. Experts attribute the rise to climate change affecting rodent behaviour, with drought followed by heavy rains increasing food sources for rodents.
Despite the increase, Argentina remains within its historical average of about 100 cases per year, far below countries like China and South Korea. The WHO stresses that the risk to the general population is low, as person-to-person transmission is not easy.
Argentina's health ministry plans to capture rodents along the route taken by the first infected passengers, a Dutch couple who had been in the country since November. The ministry notes that no hantavirus cases have been confirmed in Tierra del Fuego for 30 years.
