About Hantavirus— Symptoms, Transmission & Prevention
Critical information regarding transmission, symptoms, and the current global tracking effort.
Global Tracker Initiative
HantavirusMap.one was created to provide a centralized, real-time dashboard for tracking hantavirus cases globally. As information fragments across different regional health authorities and media outlets, this tracker aggregates signals to help public health officials, researchers, and the general public stay informed.
Data is automatically sourced from the CDC National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, PAHO epidemiological alerts, Argentina's National Epidemiological Bulletin, WHO Disease Outbreak News, and the GDELT global knowledge graph.
About Hantavirus
CDC · Last reviewed May 13, 2024
Key Points
- ›Hantaviruses are a family of viruses which can cause serious illnesses and death.
- ›These viruses cause diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
- ›They are spread mainly by rodents.
- ›The Andes virus is the only type of hantavirus known to spread person-to-person, usually limited to people with close contact with the ill person.
Overview
Hantaviruses can infect and cause serious disease in people worldwide. People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent, but this is rare. Hantaviruses cause two syndromes. Hantaviruses found in the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The most common hantavirus that causes HPS in the United States is spread by the deer mouse. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a group of clinically similar illnesses caused by hantaviruses found mostly in Europe and Asia. However, Seoul virus, a type of hantavirus that causes HFRS, is found worldwide, including in the United States.
Signs and Symptoms
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
Symptoms appear 1–8 weeks after contact with an infected rodent.
Early symptoms:
- ›Fatigue
- ›Fever
- ›Muscle aches (thighs, hips, back, shoulders)
- ›Headaches, dizziness, chills
- ›Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
Late symptoms (4–10 days after onset):
- ›Coughing and shortness of breath
- ›Chest tightness as lungs fill with fluid
CASE FATALITY RATE: 20–40%, UP TO 50%
↗ WHO 2026Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS)
Symptoms develop within 1–2 weeks after exposure (rarely up to 8 weeks).
Initial symptoms:
- ›Intense headaches
- ›Back and abdominal pain
- ›Fever / chills, nausea
- ›Blurred vision, facial flushing
Later symptoms:
- ›Low blood pressure, acute shock
- ›Internal bleeding (vascular leakage)
- ›Acute kidney failure
HANTAAN/DOBRAVA: 5–15% FATAL
Diagnosis
Diagnosing hantavirus in a person infected less than 72 hours is difficult. Early symptoms are easily confused with influenza. If you suspect hantavirus disease, see a physician immediately and mention any potential rodent exposure. State laboratories and CDC can confirm a diagnosis through testing.
Treatment & Recovery
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection. Patients receive supportive care including rest, hydration, and symptom management. HPS patients may need intubation; HFRS patients may need dialysis. Early medical care is critical.
About Andes Virus
CDC · Last reviewed May 9, 2026
Key Points
- ›Andes virus is a type of hantavirus that can cause a severe respiratory disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).
- ›The virus can spread through contact with rodents, by touching an object with the virus on it, or, rarely, through contact with a sick person who has the virus.
- ›Early symptoms can look like flu.
- ›If you think you had contact with a person with Andes virus and are experiencing symptoms, contact a medical professional immediately.
Andes virus is spread by rodents in South America and, less commonly, by other infected people. The rodents that carry Andes virus have not been found in the United States. Andes virus is the only type of hantavirus known to spread person-to-person — usually limited to people who have close contact with a sick person, including direct physical contact, prolonged time in close or enclosed spaces, and exposure to the sick person's body fluids.
How Andes Virus Spreads
- ›Through contact with infected rodents or their urine, saliva, or feces
- ›By touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes
- ›Through close contact with a person who is sick with Andes virus
Reducing Risk of Person-to-Person Spread
- ✓Wash hands frequently
- ✓Avoid kissing and sexual contact with someone who may have Andes virus
- ✓Avoid sharing drinks, cigarettes, hookah, and vapes with someone who may have Andes virus
- ✓Avoid sharing eating utensils or eating food from the same plate or bowl
- ✓Maintain distance from someone who may have Andes virus
Frequently Asked Questions
SOURCE: CDCBased on CDC's official FAQ — Andes Virus Outbreak on a Cruise Ship: Frequently Asked Questions (May 11, 2026)
Hantavirus is transmitted through inhalation of aerosolized particles from infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva — not through casual airborne contact between people. The virus becomes airborne when dried rodent excreta is disturbed, such as during cleaning. It is not spread through coughing or sneezing between humans.
Most hantavirus strains, including Sin Nombre virus (North America), do not spread between people. Andes virus is the documented exception: close contact with an infected person can result in transmission, as seen in the MV Hondius 2026 cluster. Standard infection-control precautions (masks, hand hygiene, isolation) are recommended for confirmed cases.
Hantavirus is found worldwide. In the Americas, Sin Nombre virus is prevalent across the western United States, while Andes virus is endemic to Patagonia (Argentina and Chile). In Europe and Asia, Seoul and Puumala viruses circulate broadly. Cases are most common in rural areas with high rodent populations.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), caused by strains like Sin Nombre and Andes virus, has a case-fatality rate of 20–40%, and can reach up to 50%. Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), caused by strains like Seoul and Hantaan virus, has a lower fatality rate of 1–15% in Asia and Europe, depending on the specific strain.
There is no FDA-approved vaccine for hantavirus in the United States or most Western countries. Some vaccines have been developed and used in China and South Korea for HFRS strains. Research into broader hantavirus vaccines is ongoing. Prevention currently relies on rodent control and avoiding exposure to rodent excreta.
In late April 2026, a cluster of Andes virus (hantavirus) cases was identified among passengers and crew of the MV Hondius, a cruise ship operating in the South Atlantic near Patagonia. The outbreak is significant because Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to spread person-to-person. WHO has issued multiple Disease Outbreak News reports tracking the cluster.
Unlike COVID-19, hantavirus is not a human respiratory virus that spreads through the air between people. It requires direct contact with or inhalation of aerosolized rodent excreta. Hantavirus does not cause large-scale human-to-human transmission chains (with the rare exception of Andes virus), so its outbreak potential is generally localized rather than pandemic.
For most people, the risk of hantavirus infection remains low. The MV Hondius cluster is a notable event due to Andes virus's rare person-to-person transmission, but it is geographically contained. The greatest risk is for people in rural areas with rodent exposure. Follow standard prevention: avoid contact with rodents, seal entry points in buildings, and use proper protective equipment when cleaning potentially contaminated areas.
Prevention Guidelines
SOURCE: CDCCDC · Last reviewed May 13, 2024
Eliminate or minimize contact with rodents in your home, workplace, or campsite to reduce your risk of exposure. Seal holes and gaps in your home or garage to keep rodents from entering these spaces. Place traps in and around your home to decrease rodent infestation. When fresh urine, droppings, or nesting materials of an infected rodent are stirred up, the virus can get into the air — do not sweep or vacuum rodent-infested areas; wet the area with a bleach solution or household disinfectant and wipe it up. Avoid areas infested with rodents while visiting countries in South America.