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Venezuela says 3 people have died of hantavirus infections
AP News • • health
Key Points:
- Venezuela confirmed three deaths from hantavirus infections in the eastern state of Anzoátegui, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission, emphasizing the rarity of such cases in the country.
- Two additional suspected hantavirus-related deaths of health workers in the southwestern state of Barinas are under investigation, with no connection to the Anzoátegui cases.
- The Health Ministry described these incidents as isolated and not a threat to the general public, while deploying health workers to affected areas to ensure health security.
- Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with rodents and rarely spreads between people, though some strains like the Andes hantavirus have caused human-to-human transmission in rare cases.
- A recent deadly Andes hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship raised global concerns, but Argentine scientists have ruled out Ushuaia as the source, alleviating fears for the tourism-dependent Antarctic gateway.
