Scientists from Argentina's Malbrán Institute are racing through the mud‑soaked streets of Ushuaia to locate the rodent source of a hantavirus outbreak that sickened passengers on the MV Hondius cruise ship. The team is setting traps, collecting dead rats and testing blood samples to see if the virus is circulating in the Tierra del Fuego region.

Dead rats retrieved from two colilargo habitats in Ushuaia

The field crew placed traps in two distinct zones where a subspecies of the colilargo rat is known to live,according to the report. After several days,they recovered mutliple carcasses, which were sealed in black plastic bags and taken to a makeshift laboratory for blood extraction .

Malbrán Institute leads the hantavirus investigation

The Malbrán Institute, Argentina's premier infectious‑disease research center, is coordinating the effort, as noted by the source. Its scientists are tasked with drawing blood from the captured rodents and running polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to confirm the presence of hantavirus genetic material.

Outbreak occurs amid rising hantavirus cases in Argentina

Health officials have recorded a steady climb in hantavirus infections across the country , a trend the article links to broader climate‑change effects. The MV Hondius incident adds urgency,prompting authorities to question whether warmer temperatures are expanding the virus’s natural range into southern provincs like Tierra del Fuego.

Who will confirm the virus’s presence on the ship?

The source does not name the specific laboratory that will analyze the rat blood samples, leaving a gap in the chain of verification. It also remains unclear whether any passengers or crew have tested positive, a detail that would shape the public‑heealth response .

What remains unknown about the outbreak’s origin?

Key unanswered points include: (1) whether the colilargo rats are the definitive reservoir for the strain affecting the cruise ship, (2) if the virus was introduced locally or arrived via cargo, and (3) the exact number of human cases linked to the MV Hondius. The article provides no comment from local health authorities, underscoring the need for further official statements.