The text reads, “National health alert due to hantavirus in effect until 2027.” On Tuesday, the Chilean Health Ministry declared its first nationwide health alert for hantavirus to strengthen surveillance after the disease’s fatality rate rose this year. “Hantavirus causes a disease that is endemic to Chile and is transmitted by the long-tailed mouse, which lives in rural and semirural areas throughout most of the country,” health authorities stated. Here's everything you need to know about how it spreads https://t.co/T8l3uPiIxs via @NatGeo — Teawhalem (@Teawhalem) July 29, 2026The Health Ministry continuously monitors the animal and the disease it carries. Since December 2025, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has maintained an epidemiological alert over rising hantavirus cases across the Southern Cone.