Trending Now - Surging Hantavirus Cases in Argentina Linked to Climate Change

WHO:

CNN - Argentine health ministry, Dutch couple who died, Eduardo López (infectious disease specialist), Roberto Debbag (vice president of the Latin American Society of Vaccinology), Gilbert Zermeño (Arizona photojournalist), Ann Lindstrand (World Health Organization representative), Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (acting director for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

WHAT:

CNN - Hantavirus cases in Argentina have nearly doubled, with 101 confirmed cases reported in the current season compared to 57 in the same period last season.

CNN - Argentina recorded 32 deaths due to hantavirus, marking the highest number of infections since 2018.

CBS News - The recent outbreak linked to a Dutch-flagged cruise ship has caused nine confirmed or suspected cases, including three deaths.

CBS News - Gilbert Zermeño contracted hantavirus 24 years ago and lost his mother and sister to the illness.

WHERE:

CNN - The cruise ship MV Hondius left port in Ushuaia, southern Argentina, and is currently on its way to Spain’s Canary Islands.

CNN - High-risk areas for hantavirus contagion in Argentina include Northwest (Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán), Northeast (Misiones, Formosa, Chaco), Center (Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos), and South (Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut).

CBS News - Gilbert Zermeño was exposed to hantavirus after cleaning a family house in Texas.

WHEN:

CNN - The current hantavirus season in Argentina started in June 2025.

CNN - The cruise ship MV Hondius left port on April 1.

CBS News - Gilbert Zermeño contracted hantavirus in 2002.

WHY:

CNN - Experts attribute the rise in hantavirus cases to climate change and habitat destruction, which allow rodent populations to thrive in new areas.

CNN - Environmental degradation, extreme weather phenomena, and increased human interaction with wild environments contribute to the spread of hantavirus.

HOW:

CNN - The Argentine health ministry plans to send technical health teams to Ushuaia to capture and analyze rodents in areas linked to the Dutch couple's route.

CBS News - Dr. Jay Bhattacharya stated that hantavirus is not spread by asymptomatic individuals and requires close contact for transmission.

(UPDATED May 9, 2026 05:52 UTC)

Hantavirus cases in Argentina have nearly doubled this season, with 101 confirmed cases and 32 deaths reported, marking the highest number of infections since 2018. The outbreak is linked to a Dutch-flagged cruise ship, the MV Hondius, which left Ushuaia on April 1 and is now headed to Spain’s Canary Islands, and experts are attributing the rise in cases to climate change and habitat destruction that allow rodent populations to thrive. In response, the Argentine health ministry plans to send technical teams to Ushuaia to capture and analyze rodents in areas connected to the couple's travel route.