VirusRadar.online

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses carried by rodents. They can cause two serious diseases in humans: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which primarily affects the lungs, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects the kidneys.

HPS has a fatality rate of approximately 38% according to CDC data. People get infected mainly by breathing in air contaminated with virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials. Most hantaviruses do not spread person to person — the exception is Andes virus.

Early symptoms include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches — often mistaken for flu. Late-stage HPS causes rapid respiratory failure and requires ICU care. There is no FDA-approved antiviral treatment; care is supportive.

In May 2026, the WHO reported a multi-country Andes virus cluster linked to travel aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius. As of 8 May 2026, there were 8 total cases (6 laboratory-confirmed, 2 probable) and 3 deaths.

All confirmed cases were identified as Andes orthohantavirus — the only hantavirus known to spread between people through close contact. WHO assessed the global public risk as low, while noting the risk for passengers and crew was moderate.

CDC confirmed no U.S. cases were linked to the cluster and that pandemic risk remained extremely low. VirusRadar tracks this as an active outbreak signal with source links to all official notices.