Argentine authorities conduct field investigation into hantavirus source with rodent trapping in Ushuaia forests

Argentine investigators launched field operations in Ushuaia to trace the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship in May 2026. The outbreak resulted in 3 deaths and multiple confirmed cases, including a Canadian patient. Scientists deployed 150 box traps in forests surrounding Ushuaia to collect rodent samples for hantavirus testing at Argentina's Malbrán Institute. The investigation aims to determine whether the colilargo subspecies present in Tierra del Fuego can transmit the Andes virus, which has never been previously documented in the region despite being endemic in northern Patagonia. Provincial authorities welcome the investigation as an opportunity to definitively establish whether hantavirus circulates locally, particularly given climate change expanding the range of rodent reservoirs. Testing results are expected within one month.