In 2018, health officials in southern Argentina investigated a rare outbreak of the Andes virus after dozens of people in the small village of Epuyén became seriously iII with pneumonia-like symptoms and breathing difficulties. The virus, a strain of hantavirus usually carried by rodents, is one of the few hantaviruses known to spread from person to person.
Scientists later discovered that transmission mainly happened during a very short period — around the time an infected person first developed a fever. In some cases, only brief close contact was enough for the virus to spread.
The Andes virus has recently drawn attention again after several illnesses were linked to passengers aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, currently traveling toward the Canary Islands. Health experts say the overall public risk remains low, but passengers and close contacts are being monitored carefully.
Researchers are now studying the virus closely to understand where the outbreak began and whether any new changes in the virus may be involved. Despite the concern, experts emphasize that Andes virus spreads far less easily than illnesses like Covid-19 or influenza.