Overview
- The provincial health ministry confirmed on Monday that a 40-year-old woman from Ibarlucea died of hantavirus after laboratory testing verified the diagnosis.
- She was admitted to the ICU at Hospital Eva Perón in Granadero Baigorria on December 23 with fever and muscle pain and died on December 25 following rapid deterioration.
- Authorities initiated focal control in Ibarlucea, began monitoring close contacts, and notified Entre Ríos after investigators noted a recent three‑week stay in a cabin in Victoria as a possible exposure.
- Santa Fe reports 13 confirmed hantavirus cases in 2025 out of 445 suspected investigations, with this death the third recorded in the province this year.
- The national epidemiological bulletin cites a roughly 17% rise in 2025 cases versus the 2020–2024 average, with about 70% concentrated in the Central region, and officials stress there is no vaccine or specific antiviral and care is supportive.