Hantavirus in The Americas

The Americas represent the primary endemic region for Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory disease first identified during the 1993 Four Corners outbreak in the southwestern United States. That event, caused by Sin Nombre virus carried by the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), resulted in a case fatality rate exceeding 50% and brought global attention to New World hantaviruses. In South America, the Andes virus is of particular epidemiological significance as the only hantavirus with documented person-to-person transmission, first confirmed during a 1996 outbreak in southern Argentina. Chile and Argentina report the highest incidence in the Southern Cone, with cases peaking during spring and early summer when rodent populations expand into peridomestic environments. Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia also report regular cases linked to Laguna Negra and other regional variants. Seasonal patterns across the hemisphere correlate with agricultural cycles, rural housing conditions, and El Niño-driven rodent population surges. Central American cases, though less frequent, have been associated with Choclo virus in Panama. Public health surveillance varies significantly across the region, with underreporting suspected in areas with limited diagnostic capacity.