Argentina Strengthens Hantavirus Epidemiological Surveillance Nationwide Following MV Hondius Cruise Outbreak

Argentine health authorities held a coordinated meeting of provincial and national representatives to strengthen epidemiological surveillance of hantavirus following an outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship. The vessel departed from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, carrying passengers who subsequently developed symptoms. Testing confirmed the Andes virus (ANDV) strain in an affected passenger in South Africa. A Dutch couple who died had traveled extensively through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before embarking. Health officials are investigating the geographic origin and person-to-person transmission dynamics. Argentina has documented 42 hantavirus cases nationally in 2026, with the cruise outbreak accounting for 3 deaths and 5 suspected cases. Authorities are intensifying surveillance and improving diagnostic protocols across affected provinces (Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén) and neighboring regions.