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2026-05-26 16:35:04
[Argentina: No Evidence of Hantavirus Infection in Captured Rodents] Experts from the Carlos Malván Institute, the administration of Argentina's National Institute of Laboratories and Health, recently stated that there is no evidence that rodents captured in Ushuaia, a city in southern Argentina, are infected with Hantavirus. Experts from the Malván Institute arrived in Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego province, on the 18th to investigate Hantavirus. During their week-long investigation, they set more than 200 traps to capture rodents such as the long-tailed dwarf rice rat, which are linked to the spread of Hantavirus. An expert from the institute told Argentine media that there is currently no evidence that the captured animals are infected with Hantavirus, and the next step will be laboratory analysis. The expert said that all collected samples have been sent to the Malván Institute for serological testing. If suspicious or positive samples are found, researchers will use techniques such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to trace the source. The Hundius cruise ship, operated by the Dutch company Ocean Expeditions, departed from Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1st, bound for the African island nation of Cape Verde. An outbreak of hundius virus occurred en route, resulting in three deaths. World Health Organization officials had previously stated that the first case of infection on the Hundius may not have occurred on board, but rather before the cruise ship's departure. (Xinhua)
