The government of Argentina, the country from which the cruise ship that detected a hantavirus outbreak departed, has confirmed 41 cases of the disease since the beginning of 2026 and reported that the current epidemiological season shows a higher spread of the disease than in previous years. And, more importantly, "above the epidemic threshold," according to a recent announcement from the South American country's Ministry of Health.
"At the national level, the 2025-2026 season shows a number of cases that remains above the epidemic threshold for almost the entire period analyzed, with a sustained increase in accumulated cases over the course of the season," the Ministry indicated.
According to the latest National Epidemiological Bulletin, Argentina has recorded 101 cases so far this season—which ran from last July to June of this year—including 32 deaths, corresponding to a case fatality rate of 31.7%, higher than in previous seasons. Two months before the end of the current season, the recorded data show a significant increase compared to previous seasons, which recorded much lower numbers: 57 in the 2024-2025 season, 75 in the 2023-2024 season, 63 in the 2022-2023 season, 43 in the 2021-2022 season, 54 in the 2020-2021 season, and 83 in the 2019-2020 season.
Yesterday, regarding the case of infections on board the cruise ship, the WHO raised the alarm of possible human-to-human transmission .
(Unioneonline)