Climate Change May Double Hantavirus Risk as Rodent Ranges Shift Toward Argentina's Atlantic Coast
Updated
Updated · Livescience.com · May 12
Climate Change May Double Hantavirus Risk as Rodent Ranges Shift Toward Argentina's Atlantic Coast
9 articles · Updated · Livescience.com · May 12
More than 100 hantavirus cases were recorded in Argentina from June 2025 to early May 2026, about double the previous year, as researchers warn climate change could push infected rodents into new areas.
Climate models project the Andes virus reservoir — the long-tailed pygmy rice rat — may expand eastward from the southern Andes toward Argentina's densely populated Atlantic coast, raising spillover risk to people with no prior exposure.
Up to 50% mortality makes hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome one of the deadliest rodent-borne diseases, and the Andes virus linked to the MV Hondius cluster is the only hantavirus known to spread between people.
Separate machine-learning research on arenaviruses found warming, shifting rainfall and agricultural expansion could increase spillover across South America over the next 20 to 40 years.
Researchers said stronger surveillance, testing and cross-border data sharing are urgent, but funding cuts in Argentina and the closure of a U.S. NIH emerging-diseases program have weakened early-warning capacity.
The Hondius cruise ship outbreak was a warning. Are we prepared for the next rodent-borne pandemic?
As climate change pushes deadly viruses into new regions, why are scientific early-warning systems being shut down?
Argentina’s 2025-2026 Hantavirus Crisis: 101 Cases, 32% Fatality Rate, and the Role of Climate Change
Overview
Between 2025 and 2026, Argentina experienced a sharp and alarming rise in hantavirus cases, with 101 confirmed infections and 32 deaths by May 13, 2026, resulting in a high mortality rate of 32%. This surge marks a significant departure from previous years and led to a public health emergency. The outbreak also showed a notable shift in its geographic spread, with Buenos Aires and Salta provinces becoming the most affected areas. These developments highlight the growing threat of hantavirus in Argentina and the urgent need for effective public health responses.