Argentina Contained 2018 Hantavirus Outbreak With Quarantine Measures

A hantavirus outbreak that began at a birthday party in the Patagonian village of Epuyén in November 2018 infected 34 people and killed 11. Around 100 people attended the gathering, which became a super-spreader event after an infected guest transmitted the virus to several others seated nearby.

The initial case led to a cascading series of infections. One resident who lost family members said the person with the virus was sitting at the same table as her father, and several people at that table became infected. She and her two sisters later contracted the virus at their father’s funeral.

Public health officials confirmed the first 18 cases and then enforced strict isolation protocols on patients with confirmed cases as well as self-quarantine for anyone they may have come into contact with. The New England Journal of Medicine reported these measures most likely curtailed further spread, which halved after isolation was ordered.

Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is generally rare. The virus is most commonly spread through the urine, saliva or droppings of mice. Experts have noted that sustained transmission between people requires the exchange of large droplets of saliva during prolonged contact.

Residents of the affected region began taking preventive steps after the outbreak, including regularly airing out sheds and scrubbing them with bleach. One resident whose father was identified as the first case said his family faced discrimination afterward, adding that nobody chooses to get sick or infect others.

The outbreak lasted from November 2018 to February 2019. In total, 11 people died. Survivors described initial symptoms that included weakness, loss of appetite, body aches, a bitter taste in the mouth and purple spots on the skin.