Hantavirus outbreak renews painful memories for Patagonian village

AI Summary

A recent hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship has triggered painful recollections for a small village in Patagonia, Argentina, where a similar outbreak claimed numerous lives several years ago. The new case has raised concerns in the region about the resurgence of the virus.

Mailen Valle lost her father and two sisters during a hantavirus outbreak more than seven years ago in Epuyen, a village in Argentina's Patagonia region. With the recent hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, hard memories have resurfaced for the 33-year-old. Tthe Epuyen outbreak recorded 34 cases and 11 fatalities between December 2018 and March 2019 in the town of 2,400 residents, situated in a part of the Andes where hantavirus is endemic.