Cómo el cambio climático influye en la expansión del hantavirus

The briefing examines how global warming, extreme weather, and habitat loss facilitate the spread of the Andes hantavirus by expanding the range of its primary reservoir, the long-tailed mouse. It highlights a current lethal season in Argentina with 101 confirmed cases and 32 deaths, noting that the virus has appeared in regions like Tierra del Fuego where there are no historical records. The text emphasizes that this is a matter of climate justice, as rural communities in Argentina and Chile are disproportionately affected despite contributing least to the climate crisis. It calls for mitigation through the cessation of fossil fuel use and adaptation via improved epidemiological surveillance and medical training in non-endemic areas.

• Climate change, characterized by rising temperatures, droughts, and intense rainfall, is enabling the expansion of the long-tailed mouse, which is the primary reservoir for the Andes hantavirus.
• Argentina is experiencing its most lethal hantavirus season in recent years, recording 32 deaths and 101 confirmed cases according to the Ministry of Health.
• The Andes hantavirus strain, found in Argentina and Chile, is the only one with documented human-to-human transmission, though this occurs in very specific contexts.
• The spread of zoonotic diseases is a justice issue, as rural inhabitants of Argentina and Chile suffer the most due to limited access to rapid diagnosis and care, despite having contributed the least to the climate crisis.
• Beyond hantavirus, the Lancet Countdown Latin America 2025 report indicates that mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and zika are expanding into new altitudes and zones where they previously could not survive.

APA

CCNow (2026). Cómo el cambio climático influye en la expansión del hantavirus. Covering Climate Now. https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/como-el-cambio-climatico-influye-en-la-expansion-del-hantavirus/

Chicago

CCNow. Cómo el cambio climático influye en la expansión del hantavirus. Covering Climate Now, 2026. https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/como-el-cambio-climatico-influye-en-la-expansion-del-hantavirus/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=CCNow |title=Cómo el cambio climático influye en la expansión del hantavirus |publisher=Covering Climate Now |date=13 May 2026 |url=https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/como-el-cambio-climatico-influye-en-la-expansion-del-hantavirus/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ccnow2026cmo, author = {CCNow}, title = {{Cómo el cambio climático influye en la expansión del hantavirus}}, institution = {Covering Climate Now}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/como-el-cambio-climatico-influye-en-la-expansion-del-hantavirus/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }