Climate change is likely to shift the distribution of virus-carrying rodents, potentially increasing the risk of spillover, when viruses make the jump from animals to humans. This will likely expose populations to diseases that they haven't encountered before and raise the risk of outbreaks, researchers warn. With a case mortality rate of up to 50% , HCPS is considered one of the most severe forms of hantavirus disease, while the infections that strike in Europe and Asia have lower fatality rates. Climate change is affecting rodent host populations Scientists studying hantavirus risk in southern South America have so far identified 11 genotypes linked to human disease across 13 native rodent species, said Juan Diego Pinotti, a postdoctoral researcher for Argentina's National Council of Research, based at the Institute of Animal Diversity and Ecology at the National University of Córdoba.…