Is travel to South America safe during the 2026 hantavirus outbreak?

Travel to South America remains safe for most itineraries, but travelers should understand the geographically specific risk from Andes virus. Risk zones are rural areas — particularly Patagonia and the Four Corners region of Argentina (Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz provinces), southern Chile (Regions X–XIV), and parts of Uruguay — not major cities such as Buenos Aires, Santiago, or Montevideo. WHO has not issued a travel advisory against South America for hantavirus. The 2026 MV Hondius cluster arose from a single index case who spent four months in these rural endemic areas. Recommended precautions: avoid sleeping or spending extended time in rodent-infested rural huts, barns, or storage buildings; if camping, use elevated sleeping platforms away from field mouse habitat; never sweep rodent droppings in enclosed spaces — wet them first with 1:10 bleach solution before cleaning. Travelers developing fever, intense muscle pain, and respiratory difficulty within 8 weeks of returning from rural endemic areas in Argentina or Chile should disclose that travel history to emergency physicians immediately.