Venezuela confirms three hantavirus deaths, says no sign of person-to-person spread

Venezuelan health authorities have confirmed that three people have died from hantavirus infections, while stressing there is no evidence that the disease is spreading between people in the country.

The deaths occurred in the eastern state of Anzoátegui, an area where human cases of the rodent-borne virus are rarely reported. Officials described the cases as isolated incidents and said there was currently no threat to the wider population.

At the same time, health officials are investigating the deaths of two healthcare workers in the southwestern state of Barinas, where hantavirus is also suspected. Authorities said those cases remain under review and are not connected to the fatalities reported in Anzoátegui, which lies roughly 655 kilometres away.

According to the Venezuelan Medical Federation, the three victims in Anzoátegui belonged to the same family and lived in the rural municipality of Miranda.

The Health Ministry said medical teams would be deployed to the affected areas to strengthen surveillance and ensure public health protections, although it did not provide further details about the response.

Hantaviruses are found in many parts of the world and are most commonly transmitted through contact with infected rodents such as rats and mice. Human infections are generally rare, and transmission from one person to another is considered uncommon. In severe cases, the virus can lead to serious respiratory illness or kidney failure.

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The announcement comes amid heightened international attention on hantavirus following a deadly outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius earlier this year. That outbreak, linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, killed three passengers and infected several others, raising concerns because some variants of the virus can occasionally spread between humans.

Scientists are still investigating the origins of that cruise ship outbreak. Researchers in Argentina have already ruled out several early theories, including suggestions that the virus may have originated in Ushuaia, known as the world's southernmost city, or in the wine-producing province of Mendoza.

While health authorities continue to monitor developments, Venezuelan officials maintain that the recent deaths do not indicate a broader outbreak and that there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission within the country.

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