A 15-year-old teenager has died from hantavirus in the city of Esquel, Chubut province, reports Agencia Noticias Argentinas. The girl was hospitalized after being diagnosed with the disease. She was in isolation as a contact of one of more than 10 people infected with hantavirus in the rural area a month ago. According to official sources, the teenager had no new contacts outside her household. Despite early intervention by the healthcare team, her condition worsened, leading to her death. “Our teams have been working in the locality from the first moment, with a permanent presence and constant monitoring of the situation,” the authorities stated. The first case of the disease was reported on March 2 in a 57-year-old woman. Since the outbreak began, the corresponding protocols have been activated, including epidemiological surveillance, contact tracing, and family support. The health system is prepared to act in such situations and is conducting extensive and comprehensive operations in Cerro Centinela and Esquel. The Health Secretariat emphasized the importance of adopting preventive measures to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus. These include avoiding contact with rodents and their secretions, preventing them from entering homes by sealing holes, keeping the environment clean, cutting grass, removing weeds, and storing firewood or gardens more than 30 meters away from the house and off the ground. When cleaning or in potentially contaminated areas, it is recommended to use respiratory protection (mask). If rodents are found, they should not be handled directly; traps should be used to capture them. If a dead rodent is found, it should be disinfected with bleach, waited for 30 minutes, and then removed with gloves for proper disposal.
