Paraguay: Health Authorities State Andes Hantavirus Variant Not Present in Country

Paraguay's Ministry of Public Health has moved swiftly to reassure the public and international observers regarding the hantavirus situation, particularly in light of recent concerns stemming from an outbreak on a cruise ship. The clear message from Asunción is that the specific variant of concern, the Andes strain capable of human-to-human transmission, is not circulating within Paraguay's borders.

This clarification is crucial, especially given that the Andes variant is predominant in neighboring Chile and Argentina and was implicated in the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. While Paraguay acknowledges that hantavirus is present in its western Chaco region, primarily circulating among rodents with occasional spillover to humans, the Ministry emphasizes that these are typically isolated cases and not the more transmissible Andes strain. This distinction is vital for public health management and international perception.

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La transmisión de persona a persona solo se ha documentado para el virus Andes, que no está presente en Paraguay.

From Paraguay's perspective, as reported by ABC Color, the focus is on maintaining vigilance while avoiding unnecessary alarm. The Ministry highlights its ongoing surveillance efforts and provides data on past hantavirus cases, which have largely been concentrated in the Chaco. The statement serves to differentiate Paraguay's situation from the more complex outbreak scenarios seen elsewhere, reinforcing the country's capacity to monitor and manage endemic health risks while reassuring that the specific threat of human-to-human transmission via the Andes variant is not currently a concern within its territory.

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la región occidental del Chaco es considerada "una zona de circulación comprobada del virus entre roedores" y que su transmisión a humanos ocurre de "manera esporádica" en zonas endémicas definidas.