Authorities in Argentina are investigating an outbreak of hantavirus linked to a deceased Dutch couple on a cruise ship.

Health authorities in Argentina are working to determine whether the country is the source of an outbreak of hantavirus, which has led to the deaths of three people, including a Dutch couple, on a cruise ship in the Atlantic.

The Argentine Ministry of Health has announced that it will send experts to the Ushuaia area to capture and test rodents, which typically transmit the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported eight suspected cases, three of which are confirmed. Although the risk to the public remains low, authorities emphasize that the virus spreads more slowly compared to COVID-19.

The hantavirus from South America, known as the Andes virus, can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a serious illness.

Climate change has been associated with an increase in cases, expanding the territory of rodents. Since the middle of 2025, Argentina has reported 101 hantavirus infections, double that of the previous year. Experts warn that the virus is spreading more due to climate change.

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