Argentina Rules Out Ushuaia Origin for Dutch Tourist's Hantavirus Case

Tierra del Fuego's health secretary said extensive rodent surveys had not found any wild mice carrying the virus in the city. The Dutch tourist had camped in northern Patagonia before her stay in Ushuaia.

Lab work on the samples is continuing, but officials noted that the forests around El Bolson and the surrounding region are the traditional habitat of Oligoryzomys longicaudatus mice, the standard carrier of the Andes serotype.

The national Health Ministry said the country's total number of confirmed cases remained at 14, below epidemic thresholds. Buenos Aires is sharing information with Spanish and British authorities along the cruise route.