The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) serves as WHO’s Regional Office for the Americas. In December 2025 it issued an epidemiological alert concerning hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the Region of the Americas. That document is a regional complement to country-level surveillance pages such as those maintained by CDC in the United States.
Purpose of a regional alert
Regional alerts typically summarize situational awareness, highlight seasonal or ecological factors that can influence rodent-human contact, and remind countries of coordination expectations under the International Health Regulations framework. They do not replace national guidance; they contextualize risk communication when multiple countries share similar ecological drivers for hantavirus transmission.
How this relates to U.S. readers
Readers in the United States may still rely on CDC for domestic case definitions, prevention, and clinician guidance. PAHO’s alert is still useful background if you want to compare patterns north and south, for example Andes virus-linked illness in parts of South America and Sin Nombre-linked illness described for much of North America. It does not replace national travel advice from agencies.
Research note
This summary was prepared from PAHO’s published alert page on 7 May 2026. Use the original PDF or web document for exact wording, figures, and any updates PAHO may post after that date.