Argentina investigates link to deadly hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship | Health News
Health Officials Investigate Hantavirus Cases Linked to Cruise Ship
By AFP, Reuters, and The Associated Press
Published May 6, 2026
Authorities in Argentina are investigating whether a hantavirus outbreak that has resulted in several deaths on an Atlantic cruise ship is linked to the country’s rodent population.
The Argentinian Ministry of Health announced Wednesday it would deploy experts to Ushuaia—located at the southernmost tip of South America—to capture and test rodents in areas associated with the route taken by a Dutch couple, who were among the victims of the virus.
Three individuals, including the Dutch couple and a German national, have died from the outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that eight individuals are suspected of having contracted the virus, with three cases confirmed through laboratory testing.
“As of May 6, there are eight cases, three of whom are confirmed as hantavirus,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus via social media. He added that WHO will continue collaborating with affected countries to ensure patients, contacts, passengers, and crew receive necessary information and resources to prevent further transmission.
The cruise ship, which has been anchored off the coast of Cape Verde since Sunday, departed for Spain on Wednesday after three passengers, two of whom were gravely ill, were evacuated to receive medical care in the Netherlands.
Health officials have indicated that the risk to the general public remains low, noting that hantavirus is transmitted much less easily than diseases such as COVID-19. “When we say close contact for human-to-human transmission, we mean very close physical contact, such as sharing a bunk room or providing medical care,” explained Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic management.
The hantavirus present in South America, known as the Andes virus, can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a serious and potentially fatal lung disease. In response to the outbreak, Argentinian authorities have committed to sending Andes virus RNA materials and diagnostic guidelines to laboratories in Spain, Senegal, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Recent climate changes have been identified as a factor in the rise of hantavirus cases, potentially expanding the habitats of rodent carriers. The Health Ministry reported 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025, nearly double the number of cases recorded during the same period last year.
Hugo Pizzi, a prominent infectious disease specialist in Argentina, noted, “Argentina has become more tropical because of climate change, leading to disruptions that favor the proliferation of rodents.” He emphasized concerns that the hantavirus is increasingly spreading within the region.
