What is hantavirus? Three people have died and three are still ill on a Netherlands-based cruise ship after it was hit by a suspected outbreak of the deadly virus, according to authorities on Sunday.
Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried primarily by rodents and transmitted to humans through environmental exposure. The World Health Organization (WHO) says infection most often occurs when people inhale airborne particles contaminated with the urine, faeces or saliva of infected rodents.
In the Americas, hantavirus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare but severe illness that affects the lungs. In Europe and parts of Asia, related strains tend to cause kidney disease, known as haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
WHO says hantavirus infection is usually linked to environmental exposure, rather than direct contact with infected people.
The Andes strain of hantavirus, found largely in Argentina and Chile, is the only known variant that can spread through close, prolonged human-to-human contact. The WHO believes this is the strain responsible of the infections on the cruise ship.
Situations that increase risk include:
Rodent bites are a possible but uncommon route of transmission.
Sympoms typicaly begin between one and eight weeks after exposure. Early symptoms are often non‑specific and may resemble other viral illnesses. WHO lists common early signs as:
In severe cases, particularly hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, symptoms can progress rapidly to:
WHO says hantavirus infections can be life‑threatening and require careful monitoring, respiratory support and intensive medical care.
In the Americas, the infection can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, which progresses quickly and leads to fluid buildup in the lungs along with heart complications.
Fatality rates from hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome are up to 50%, the WHO says, compared to 1-15% from the infections common in Asia and Europe.
There is currently no specific antiviral treatment. Therapy focuses on rest and fluid intake. In serious cases, patients may need breathing support such as a ventilator.
While hantavirus infections are considered rare, the WHO estimates there are between 10,000 and 100,000 cases of the virus each year. The severity of the virus depends on the particular strain acquired.
The WHO says the risk to the wider public remains low.
In December 2025, the WHO's Americas branch warned that infections were rising in the region, particularly in Bolivia and Paraguay. In Brazil and Argentina, where the most cases are reported, the two countries have seen increasing lethality of the infection.
Argentina reported 21 deaths last year, a 32% fatality rate among the 66 who contracted hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, compared with a 15% average over the past four years.
Concert pianist Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in New Mexico in 2025. According to autopsy results.
Fatality rates vary by virus strain, but the WHO says some forms, including HPS, have high mortality and demand rapid diagnosis and treatment.
According to the WHO, person‑to‑person transmission of hantavirus is very rare. Most infections occur through contact with rodent‑contaminated environments.
Limited human‑to‑human transmission has been documented only in specific circumstances involving a strain found in South America, and requires close contact. As a result, widespread transmission between people is not considered typical.
WHO advises that prevention focuses on reducing exposure to rodents and contaminated spaces. Key measures include:
When suspected cases arise, WHO supports laboratory testing, epidemiological investigations, risk assessments and coordination between countries, particularly when cases involve international travel or transport.
WHO says hantavirus infections, though rare, can escalate quickly and lead to severe illness or death. Public awareness, early medical attention and adherence to prevention guidance are critical to limiting risk and protecting public health.
Georgia could gain a direct electricity link to Europe under plans for a new overland energy corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye ...
Türkiye has unveiled plans for joint military exercises and defence production with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under a new security pact that i...
Uzbekistan will allow eligible businesses to operate for up to three months without a licence or permit under a new regime aimed at cutting barrier...
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
The Democratic Republic of Congo says the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to nearly 4,500, including more than 2,060 deaths. Delayed detection, weak surveillance, funding shortages and conflict have allowed the virus to spread faster than in any previous epidemic at the same stage.
Australia warned on Monday (3 August) of a wider spread of H5N1 bird flu after its first confirmed mass mortality event among seabirds killed about 50 greater crested terns off the coast of South Australia, south of Adelaide.
Cancer patients in Sudan are struggling to access life-saving treatment as soaring medication costs, power shortages and damaged hospital infrastructure deepen the country's healthcare crisis after more than three years of war.
The world risks a resurgence of the HIV epidemic after international funding fell by nearly a fifth last year, according to a new report from UNAIDS, which warned that decades of progress against the disease could be reversed without renewed global support.
A global shift towards healthier diets, more efficient farming and reduced food waste could cut greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture-related land-use change by 85% by 2050, according to a study published last week in the journal Nature.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment