Venezuela has confirmed three deaths from hantavirus infections and is investigating two additional suspected fatalities, the Health Ministry announced Tuesday. The ministry emphasized that there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the rodent-borne disease within the South American country, where hantavirus cases are rare.
The three confirmed deaths occurred in the eastern state of Anzoátegui. The two suspected deaths involve health workers in the southwestern state of Barinas, located approximately 655 kilometers (407 miles) away from Anzoátegui. These cases are still under investigation and have not been linked to the fatalities in Anzoátegui.
Health officials described the incidents in both Anzoátegui and Barinas as isolated and stated they "do not represent a risk to the general community." However, the ministry indicated that health workers would be deployed to the affected states to "guarantee the health security of all Venezuelans."
The Venezuelan Medical Federation reported that the deaths in Anzoátegui were within the same family in the rural municipality of Miranda. Hantaviruses are found globally and are primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents like rats and mice. While human-to-human transmission is rare, severe cases can lead to fatal lung infections or kidney failure. A recent outbreak on a cruise ship involving the Andes hantavirus, which has a mortality rate of up to 30% and lacks available treatments or vaccines, had raised global concerns. Investigations into the origin of that outbreak, which occurred in May, are ongoing in Argentina, the ship's point of departure.