Argentina to expand hantavirus search to a second province
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Argentina will expand its search for rodents carrying the Hantavirus to the western province of Mendoza as part of an investigation into a deadly outbreak aboard a cruise ship in April, the Argentine Health Ministry announced Friday.
The vessel Hondius was traveling from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde and drew international attention after the World Health Organization reported that three passengers had died following a Hantavirus outbreak on board.
Attention quickly turned to Argentina, where the Andes strain of Hantavirus is endemic in several regions, making it a possible source of the outbreak.
In May, scientists from the Malbrán Institute, Argentina's leading infectious diseases center, traveled to Ushuaia to determine whether local rodents were carrying the rare respiratory disease.
Researchers from the institute will next travel to Mendoza to conduct further investigations alongside experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from June 8–12, according to a statement from the Health Ministry.
The ministry added that the results of tests on more than 100 rodents captured in Tierra del Fuego in May are still being analyzed.
Hantavirus is endemic in several Argentine provinces, but not in Mendoza.
The ministry said the new study sites were selected based on environmental and eco-epidemiological criteria linked to rodent habitats and behavior.
Meanwhile, the University of Mendoza said the province currently has "no confirmed local circulation of the Andes virus," but noted the "possible presence of rodents carrying the virus."
