The Los Ríos seremi [regional health secretariat] confirmed the first case of hantavirus in 2025 in the region. The affected person, a 53-year-old artisanal fisherman residing in the Amargos locality in the Corral commune, was transferred in serious condition to Concepción for medical attention. On Friday [14 Mar 2025], after experiencing various symptoms, he went to a health center and was immediately transferred to the Valdivia Base Hospital. Initial tests confirmed he had contracted Hantavirus. According to information provided by health authorities, the patient was rushed to the Dr. Guillermo Grant Benavente Regional Clinical Hospital in Concepción to receive appropriate medical care, in accordance with disease management protocols. According to the Los Ríos Health seremi, the patient's prognosis is reserved, although his condition is stable but serious. In this regard, the president of the Amargos Fishermen's Union, Leandro Espinoza, stated that due to this incident, a team from the Los Ríos Health seremi conducted an inspection in the vicinity of the cove, ruling out the presence of an infectious focus [in humans]. The leader also stated that they learned of the infection recently, and noted that so far it is not certain where the infection occurred. However, he expressed his concern and assured that, if necessary, they will request preventive measures from the health authorities to protect the fishermen's health. Meanwhile, the Los Ríos seremi, Ivonne Arre, indicated that, following this case, the health authority initiated an epidemiological and environmental investigation to determine the probable location of the infection. The Ministry of Health states that Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is an acute, usually severe, and fatal infectious disease. It has been present in Chile since the 1990s. Infection occurs through contact with excreta from wild long-tailed rodents, carriers of the virus, primarily through their feces and urine, which they leave in bushes or in enclosed spaces. The aerosols from these excreta are inhaled by humans, causing infection.