SANTIAGO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chile's Public Health Research Institute confirmed on Thursday the first case of infection of Hanta virus in 2008, involving a peasant in Nuble province in central Chile.

    The 39-year-old man, now hospitalized and in serious condition, was believed to be infected while cleaning a warehouse, according to his own description.

    Statistics from the country's health ministry showed that there were 43 cases of infection of the virus throughout Chile last year, resulting in 14 deaths, compared with five deaths from 10 cases in 2006.

    Hanta is a virus transmitted to human body by rodents through air or through contacting their excrement. The virus was first detected in Chile in 1995.