Argentina Reports 101 Hantavirus Cases and 32 Deaths as World Cup Travel Nears

4 articles · Updated · Newsweek · May 12

Argentina has logged 101 confirmed hantavirus infections and 32 deaths since June 2025, nearly doubling cases from a year earlier in one of its largest outbreaks in years.
Health officials partly blame climate-driven expansion of rodent habitats, while experts say most infections still come from contact with infected rodent waste rather than sustained person-to-person spread.
The Andes strain circulating in Argentina and Chile is the only hantavirus known to allow limited human transmission, but experts put that spread at roughly 2% to 5% and say it usually requires prolonged close contact.
That assessment has sharpened attention on June World Cup travel, with thousands of Argentine fans expected in Kansas City and Dallas, though U.S. and global health authorities say broad spread at matches remains extremely unlikely.
Officials are emphasizing testing capacity, contact tracing and public awareness instead of travel restrictions, while monitoring cruise-ship-linked cases to judge whether the strain appears more infectious than expected.

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