Chile, Argentina report rise in deadly hantavirus cases

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  Chile, Argentina report rise in deadly hantavirus cases↗

  upi.com · 2026-04-25

  Argentina's National Epidemiological Bulletin has reported 42 confirmed hantavirus cases so far this year, with mortality between 31 and 39 percent — well above the historical average of about 22 percent. Chile is also reporting an unusual increase in fatal cases. Researchers attribute the rise to mild Patagonian and central-Argentine winters, which have allowed populations of long-tailed pygmy rice rats — the primary reservoir of Andes virus — to expand. Buenos Aires, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos provinces now account for more than 70 percent of cases.