Three people have died following a Hantavirus outbreak aboard a luxury cruise ship, which the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed last Wednesday as the Andes strain. Hantaviruses are rodent-borne viruses that can infect humans and cause illness, according to WHO experts. Symptoms typically appear one to eight weeks after exposure, potentially including fever, muscle aches, and digestive problems. The WHO stated the cruise ship outbreak is unusual but that public health risks remain low.
Understanding Hantavirus Transmission
Hantavirus primarily spreads from rodents to humans through contact with infected mice or rats, their urine, feces, or saliva, often via airborne transmission during cleaning. People typically contract the virus from exposure to rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. In Europe and Asia, Hantaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, primarily affecting the kidneys and blood vessels. In the Americas, Hantaviruses can cause Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, a severe and often fatal lung disease that develops rapidly, leading to fluid accumulation in the lungs and heart complications.
Mortality rates for Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome can reach up to 50 percent, significantly higher than the 1-15 percent for common infections in Asia and Europe. The Andes virus, a hantavirus found in South America, is the only hantavirus known to spread from human to human. The WHO estimates between 10,000 to 100,000 people are infected globally each year. There is no specific cure for Hantavirus infection; treatment focuses on supportive care, including rest and fluids, and may require respiratory support like mechanical ventilation. On January 1, Rodrigo was rushed to intensive care due to the illness.
Argentina's Rising Cases and Climate Link
The World Health Organization (WHO) branch in the Americas warned in December of increasing Hantavirus infections across the region, specifically noting Bolivia and Paraguay. Brazil and Argentina have also experienced a rise in Hantavirus mortality rates, with Argentina recording the highest number of infections. Last year, Argentina registered 21 deaths from Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome among 66 infected individuals, indicating that the disease led to death in nearly a third of cases, a significant increase from the average 15% mortality rate observed in the preceding five years.
Argentina consistently ranks as having the highest incidence of the rare, rodent-borne disease in Latin America, according to the World Health Organization. Many local public health researchers attribute Argentina's surge in hantavirus cases to the accelerating effects of climate change. Experts indicate that higher temperatures expand the virus’ range, partly because warmer conditions and altered ecosystems allow hantavirus-carrying rodents to thrive in more areas. The Argentine Health Ministry reported 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025 on Tuesday, approximately double the caseload from the same period the previous year.
Argentina has recently experienced a historic drought, alongside periods of unexpectedly intense rainfall, which are part of a broader pattern of erratic weather scientists link to climate change. Dry spells compel animals to leave their usual habitats in search of food and water. Conversely, substantial rainfall promotes vegetation growth, dispersing seeds that attract leaf-munching rodents.
Cruise Ship Outbreak Details
Rodrigo Morinigo, who died in January at age 14 from hantavirus, lived with his family in San Andres de Giles, Argentina. Officials and experts in Argentina are investigating if the country is the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has affected an Atlantic cruise. Argentina announced Wednesday it was providing genetic material from the Andes virus and testing equipment to Spain, Senegal, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom to aid detection efforts. Argentine officials are attempting to identify where infected passengers traveled within Argentina before boarding the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius in Ushuaia.
The first death aboard the MV Hondius, a 70-year-old Dutch man, occurred on April 11, with his 69-year-old wife dying on April 26. A German woman also died on May 2. The province of Tierra del Fuego, where the vessel docked for weeks before its departure, has never reported a case of hantavirus, according to reports. Before boarding, the Dutch couple went sightseeing in Ushuaia and also traveled elsewhere in Argentina and Chile, the WHO stated. The Argentine government's primary hypothesis suggests the couple contracted the virus during a bird-watching outing in Ushuaia. Authorities are also tracing the Dutch tourists' movements through the forested hillsides of Patagonia in southern Argentina, where some infections are clustered.
Although hantavirus cases were once confined to the southern reaches of Patagonia, 83% of cases are now found in Argentina's far north, the Health Ministry reported. The ministry issued an alert in January concerning several fatal outbreaks, including in the most populous province of Buenos Aires. Rodrigo Morinigo's parents, Daisy Morinigo and David Delgado, initially believed their son had the flu. Mr. Delgado stated, "I wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone in the world."
