Argentina expands rodent study for hantavirus to another province

Argentina's Ministry of Health, in collaboration with U.S. experts, is extending its investigation into hantavirus by launching a new phase of rodent capture and analysis in Mendoza province. This initiative is part of a broader international epidemiological study prompted by a hantavirus outbreak detected aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius.

The expanded monitoring effort follows similar fieldwork conducted in May in Tierra del Fuego, near Ushuaia, the port from which the MV Hondius departed on April 1. During the previous mission, researchers captured over a hundred rodents. However, preliminary analyses indicated that none of the captured specimens belonged to the *Oligoryzomys longicaudatus* species, the primary vector for hantavirus transmission in the region.

So far, the outbreak linked to the cruise ship has resulted in 13 confirmed or probable cases, including three fatalities, according to the World Health Organization. The current fieldwork in Mendoza will be conducted by biologists from Argentina's National Administration of Laboratories and Health Institutes (ANLIS) "Dr. Carlos Malbrán" and specialists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Hantavirus is a rare zoonotic disease for which there are no preventive vaccines or specific treatments. While endemic in various parts of Argentina, Mendoza has not historically been a region with active virus circulation. The selection of new sampling sites in the Andean province is based on ecological and eco-epidemiological criteria related to local wildlife habitats and behaviors. Researchers will also capture specimens of *Abrothrix hirta* and *Abrothrix olivacea*, other rodent species known to act as virus vectors and reservoirs.