Hantavirus Update: What Health Professionals and the Public Need to Know

Global health authorities are closely monitoring renewed attention around hantavirus following a multi-country outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. While experts stress that the risk to the general public remains low, the outbreak has pushed hantavirus back into international public health discussions.

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses primarily spread by rodents. Humans usually become infected after inhaling virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva that have become airborne. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most hantaviruses are not commonly transmitted from person to person, although the Andes virus strain found in South America is a rare exception.

Brief Epidemiology

Hantavirus infections are relatively rare but can be severe and sometimes fatal. Different strains circulate in different parts of the world:

• In the Americas, hantaviruses are associated mainly with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory disease.
• In Europe and Asia, infections are more commonly characterised by Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which affects the kidneys.

WHO reports that in 2025, eight countries in the Americas recorded 229 hantavirus cases and 59 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of approximately 25.7%. In Europe, 1,885 infections were reported in 2023, while thousands of HFRS cases continue to occur annually in parts of East Asia, particularly China and South Korea.

The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) also issued an epidemiological alert in late 2025 after observing increased hantavirus activity across endemic countries in the Southern Cone region of the Americas.

Symptoms And Clinical Presentation

Early symptoms of hantavirus infection often resemble influenza and may include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Chills
• Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain

In severe HPS cases, symptoms can rapidly progress to coughing, breathing difficulty, and fluid accumulation in the lungs. The CDC estimates that around 38% of patients who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.

The incubation period may range from one to eight weeks, complicating outbreak tracking and contact tracing.

Current Outbreak Situation

Recent international concern centres on a hantavirus cluster associated with the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius. WHO confirmed multiple cases linked to the voyage, including fatalities, involving the Andes virus strain.

As of this week:

• WHO reported at least nine confirmed or probable cases linked to the outbreak, including three deaths.
• Several countries are conducting contact tracing and monitoring exposed travellers.
• The CDC says the overall risk to the public remains “very low,” despite heightened surveillance efforts.
• WHO emphasised that there is currently “no sign” of a widespread global outbreak or pandemic.

Health authorities continue to stress that hantavirus spreads very differently from highly transmissible respiratory viruses such as COVID-19. Most infections remain linked to rodent exposure rather than sustained human-to-human transmission.

Prevention And Public Health Measures

CDC and WHO guidance recommend:

• Avoiding contact with rodent-infested areas
• Safely cleaning rodent droppings using disinfectants rather than sweeping.
• Improving sanitation and rodent control
• Using protective equipment when handling potentially contaminated materials

Currently, there is no specific antiviral cure or widely available vaccine for most hantavirus infections. Early diagnosis and supportive hospital care remain critical.

The renewed global attention on hantavirus highlights a broader public health reality: zoonotic diseases — infections that spread from animals to humans — remain a persistent global threat.

Experts say the current outbreak is also testing international outbreak coordination, surveillance systems, and rapid response capacity in a highly interconnected world.

Further Reading

• About Hantavirus – CDC
• Clinical Overview of Hantavirus
• Hantavirus risk to US public remains low, CDC says
• Hantavirus-associated cluster of illness on a cruise ship: ECDC assessment and recommendations
• WHO warns that more hantavirus cases are likely — but ‘no sign’ of widespread outbreak from cruise ship
• Authorities scramble to limit hantavirus outbreak, trace contacts around globe
• WHO says seven cases of hantavirus confirmed from cruise ship