While the recent hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has surprised many people, a recent report by the World Health Organization suggests that the disease was more widespread than many may have realized even last year.
In a report published in December last year, the WHO Regional Office for the Americas revealed that 229 confirmed cases and 59 deaths linked to hantavirus were recorded across eight countries during 2025, according to Sky News, as reported by Sinjali.
List of affected countries:
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Bolivia
- Chile
- Panama
- Paraguay
- United States
- Uruguay
Argentina continued to report the highest number of cases, with 66 confirmed infections last year, the report stated.
A total of 21 deaths were recorded in the country, resulting in a fatality rate of 32%.
According to the report, this figure is more than double the average fatality rate recorded during the previous four years, which stood at 15.4%.
Meanwhile, Brazil registered only 20 confirmed cases during the same period, but the fatality rate reached 55%, with 11 deaths reported.
In the United States, seven confirmed cases and two deaths were recorded across five different states during the past year.
