Hantavirus FAQ

Both the WHO and the ECDC have said publicly that the answer is no. The WHO assessed the global risk as low on 4 May 2026. The ECDC assessed the EU/EEA risk as very low on 6 May. Andes virus does not transmit easily between people, and its rodent reservoir is not present in Europe, North America, or Asia.

We don't give medical or public-health advice. The official position is on the WHO Disease Outbreak News page and on your national authority's website. As of 9 May 2026, the WHO continues to advise against travel or trade restrictions.

The CDC reports a case fatality rate of approximately 38% for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the United States. Published estimates for the Andes virus strain place the case fatality rate between 35% and 50%.

Most hantaviruses spread to people by inhalation of aerosolized particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Common scenarios include cleaning enclosed spaces (cabins, sheds, barns) where rodents have been active, and outdoor exposure during hiking or rural work in endemic areas. The Andes virus is the only hantavirus with documented person-to-person transmission, and the WHO describes that as rare and limited to close, sustained contact.

The CDC describes the incubation period as 4 to 42 days after exposure, with most cases occurring 2 to 3 weeks after exposure. Harvard Health frames the typical range as 2 to 3 weeks, with a maximum of about 8 weeks. Public health authorities use a 45-day monitoring window for contacts of confirmed cases.

The CDC describes a two-phase illness for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The early phase (1–7 days from onset) presents with fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, especially in the thighs, hips, back, and shoulders. About half of patients also report headache, dizziness, chills, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The late phase (4–10 days after early symptoms) is marked by coughing and shortness of breath as fluid builds up in the lungs. See /symptoms for more.

As of May 2026 there is no vaccine licensed in most countries for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

There is no specific antiviral established for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Care is supportive: oxygen, fluid management, and intensive care for severe cases. Ribavirin has shown benefit for certain HFRS strains in Asia but is not established for HPS.

It's an independent project. We aren't affiliated with the WHO, the CDC, the ECDC, the PAHO, or any government. More on /about.

We use the same definitions the WHO uses in its DON. A confirmed case requires PCR or serology by a national reference laboratory. A suspected case is a symptomatic individual under monitoring whose lab results are pending or unconfirmed.

We update when the underlying sources update. The WHO's Disease Outbreak News reports come out a few times a week during an active investigation. ECDC and PAHO publish on their own cadence. The build timestamp on each page reflects the most recent rebuild.

At five confirmed cases over a month, a chart would show five points and not much else. We add cumulative and daily charts to the outbreak page when there's enough data to support them.

Yes. The structured data in /data is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Suggested citation: Data: hantavirus.one (CC BY 4.0). https://hantavirus.one/.

Email us through /contact. Corrections are recorded in the timeline and the underlying CSV history. We prefer to be slow and right than fast and wrong.