Hantavirus surge in Argentina linked to MV Hondius cruise outbreak
Argentine Health Ministry reports infection figures have doubled since June 2025, with a mortality rate nearing one-third
Argentine authorities are investigating a sharp escalation in hantavirus cases, a rodent-borne disease the World Health Organization ranks as the most prevalent in Latin America. The surge has coincided with a deadly outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise vessel that departed from Ushuaia for Antarctica. Officials have identified 101 infections since June 2025, a figure representing a doubling of cases compared to the same period in the previous year.
The severity of the current crisis is underscored by a mortality rate for the Andes virus strain that has climbed to nearly one-third in the last year. This represents a significant increase from the average mortality rate of 15 per cent recorded over the five years preceding it. Three passengers on the MV Hondius have died as a result of the infection, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, while the ship remains moored in the Atlantic.
Experts attribute the rapid expansion of the virus to shifting climate patterns that are altering local ecosystems. Hugo Pizzi, a prominent Argentine infectious disease specialist, noted that rising temperatures have allowed rodent populations to thrive in new areas and access food sources generated by intense rainfall. Consequently, the geographic distribution of the disease has shifted dramatically, with 83 per cent of cases now found in Argentina's far north, a region where infections were historically limited to the southern reaches of Patagonia.
In response to the outbreak, the Argentine government is actively tracing the movements of infected passengers to identify the source of transmission. Authorities are focusing on the itineraries of those who boarded the vessel in Ushuaia, including a Dutch couple who died on board after sightseeing in the city and travelling through Patagonia. The province of Tierra del Fuego, where the MV Hondius docked for several weeks prior to departure, has never previously recorded a hantavirus case.
To assist international partners in detecting the pathogen, Argentina is sending genetic material from the Andes virus and testing equipment to Spain, Senegal, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. While the World Health Organization states that person-to-person transmission of the Andes strain is rare, the potential for spread remains a concern, particularly given that early symptoms often mimic common flu-like illnesses such as fever and chills.
The investigation continues as officials work to isolate contacts and monitor potential transmission chains. The convergence of a historic drought followed by unexpectedly intense rainfall has created conditions favourable for rodent proliferation, complicating efforts to contain a disease that was once confined to specific southern zones.
