Hantaviruses are a group of viruses primarily carried by rodents, such as rats and mice. Infection most commonly occurs through the inhalation of particles from the dried urine and feces of infected animals.<\/p>\n\n
There are over 20 different types of hantaviruses, according to the World Health Organization, and almost all are transmitted in this manner.<\/p>\n\n
One of them \u2013 the so-called Andes virus \u2013 is a rare exception, as it can also be transmitted between humans through very close and prolonged contact. This specific strain has been confirmed in two of the affected passengers \u2013 the British man in a Johannesburg hospital and the deceased Dutch woman.<\/p>\n\n
The Andes virus is primarily found in Argentina and Chile. In 2018, an outbreak in Argentina was traced back to an event where one infected person transmitted the virus to 34 people, 11 of whom died.<\/p>\n\n
How does the virus spread?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Hantavirus is typically transmitted by inhaling contaminated environmental particles or through contact with rodents. In rare cases \u2013 with the Andes strain \u2013 human-to-human transmission can occur.<\/p>\n\n According to WHO experts, this only happens through very close contact, such as between spouses or people sharing the same space for an extended period.<\/p>\n\n “It is not a matter of casual contact from a distance,” explains Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of the WHO.<\/p>\n\n Symptoms and risk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Hantavirus can cause two severe illnesses. The first is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which begins with fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, and can later lead to severe respiratory problems.<\/p>\n\n The mortality rate for this syndrome reaches between 20% and 40%.<\/p>\n\n The incubation period can range from one to eight weeks, making it difficult to track the infection.<\/p>\n\n The second illness is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which can lead to kidney failure, internal bleeding, and low blood pressure.<\/p>\n\n Is there a treatment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n There is no specific treatment for hantavirus, but early medical intervention significantly improves the chances of survival. Treatment includes oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, and dialysis if necessary.<\/p>\n\n Vaccines against the virus are not widely available, although they are used in China and South Korea against local strains.<\/p>\n\n How common is hantavirus?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Approximately 150,000 cases of HFRS are recorded worldwide annually, mainly in Europe and Asia. More than half of these are in China.<\/p>\n\n In the US, 890 cases were reported between 1993 and 2023.<\/p>\n\n In 2025, actor Gene Hackman’s wife \u2013 Betsy Arakawa \u2013 died of a hantavirus-related illness following suspected exposure to infected rodents in her home.<\/p>\n\n The situation with the ship remains under observation, with health authorities emphasizing that the risk to the general public remains low, though the investigation into possible human-to-human transmission continues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, is heading to the Canary Islands after being stranded off the coast of Cape Verde with approximately 150 people on board. The vessel is expected to reach the largest island of the Spanish archipelago \u2013 Tenerife \u2013 on Saturday, with passenger evacuation scheduled to begin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jet_sm_ready_style":"","_jet_sm_style":"","_jet_sm_controls_values":"","_jet_sm_fonts_collection":"","_jet_sm_fonts_links":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthcaremagazine.bg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/201a8d70-496d-11f1-b55d-0f258dce1735-1024x774.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n