About
About hantavirus
Hantavirus is a rodent-borne RNA virus in the family Hantaviridae. The species currently driving global outbreak alerts is Andes orthohantavirus, which causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) — a rapidly progressive respiratory illness with a case-fatality rate of 30–50 percent. Andes virus is the only hantavirus with documented person-to-person transmission.
Why the current outbreak matters
In April–May 2026 the World Health Organization, the U.S. CDC, UKHSA, RIVM and Africa CDC issued coordinated advisories after a cluster of confirmed and probable Andes-virus cases was linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, with passengers from multiple countries. Earlier hantavirus events were largely limited to rural exposure to wild rodents. A travel-linked, multi-country cluster substantially raises the surveillance bar — passengers, airline crew, port workers and household contacts can move the virus across borders before symptoms appear.
How HantaTracer uses sources
Every mapped case on the map is sourced from an official public-health authority — WHO Disease Outbreak News, PAHO, ECDC, U.S. CDC, UKHSA, RIVM, Africa CDC and the national health ministries of affected countries. Editorial media coverage is included as news links only and never used as evidence of case counts.
Official totals are kept separate from individual mapped cases, so readers can see the difference between a confirmed case, a country-level total and a news update.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)
HPS is the syndrome to know in 2026. It is caused by New World hantaviruses — primarily Andes virus in South America and Sin Nombre virus in North America — and presents in two phases:
- Prodromal (days 1–5): fever, severe muscle aches in the thighs and lower back, headache, nausea — easily mistaken for influenza.
- Cardiopulmonary (days 5–7): sudden shortness of breath, pulmonary oedema and shock requiring intensive care.
Survival depends on early recognition and rapid hospital care. There is no simple antiviral treatment. See Symptoms & Stages for the symptom timeline.
How hantavirus spreads
- Dust from rodent waste — the dominant route. Inhaling dust contaminated with urine, droppings or saliva from infected rodents.
- Direct contact — handling rodents or contaminated material without protection; rodent bites are rare but documented.
- Person-to-person — only Andes virus, mostly within households and during the early symptomatic phase. This is why travel-linked Andes-virus clusters are escalated by WHO and PAHO.
Who is most at risk
- Travellers and passengers exposed during active outbreak events such as the MV Hondius cluster.
- Healthcare workers and household contacts of confirmed Andes-virus cases.
- Rural and outdoor workers — farmers, forestry crews, pest controllers, military personnel — in known endemic areas.
- Anyone cleaning long-closed cabins, barns, sheds or storage areas with visible rodent activity.
- People who keep or handle pet rats, given the global distribution of Seoul virus.
Practical guidance for cleaning rodent-contaminated areas and reducing exposure is on the Prevention page.
Background: hantavirus species
Hantaviruses fall into two clinical groups. New World species (Andes, Sin Nombre and related viruses) cause HPS in the Americas — the focus of the current response. Old World species (Hantaan, Seoul, Puumala, Dobrava) cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and have been endemic in East Asia, Russia and parts of Europe for decades.
Each species has a specific rodent host, geographic range and severity profile. See the Strains reference for individual case-fatality, host species and discovery history.