Evidence collection4 June 2026
Published 4 June 2026
Introduction
Hantavirus has been in the news following the diagnosis of a number of human cases in passengers on a cruise ship. The purpose of this evidence collection is to provide links to relevant resources and published evidence to answer any questions you may have, or be asked, about hantavirus in animals and the transmission of disease to humans.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses, carried by rodents. Each virus is associated with a specific reservoir host which can remain persistently infected without showing clinical signs. Once infected the rodent will secrete infectious virus for prolonged periods, probably for life. Transmission usually occurs through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva. The incubation period is generally 2 to 4 weeks but can range from 2 days to 8 weeks.
In humans, infection with hantaviruses can cause a range of illnesses, including severe disease and death. Hantaviruses are divided into two broad categories. In Europe and Asia, “Old World” hantaviruses generally cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). In the Americas, “New World” hantaviruses generally cause “hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome” (HCPS), which can have a case fatality rate of up to 50%.
The Andes strain of hantavirus, found in South America, which has its natural reservoir in the long-tailed pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus), has been associated with limited human‑to‑human transmission.
General information
- World Health Organization (2026) Hantavirus [online]. Available from: www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hantavirus [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- World Organisation for Animal Health (2026) Hantaviruses (infection with) [online]. Available from: https://www.woah.org/en/document/hantaviruses-infection-with-2/ [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- Public Health England (2008) Hantaviruses [online]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hantaviruses [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevension (2024) About hantavirus [online]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html [Accessed 4 June 2026]
Details on recent outbreak Andes hantavirus: epidemiology and guidance
- World Health Organization (2026) WHO Health Emergencies EPI-WIN webinar: Hantavirus in Focus I: what we know and what it means [online]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2026/05/20/default-calendar/hantavirus-in-focus-i-what-we-know-and-what-it-means [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- World Health Organization (2026) Hantavirus outbreak toolbox [online]. Available from: https://www.who.int/emergencies/outbreak-toolkit/disease-outbreak-toolboxes/hantavirus-outbreak-toolbox [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- World Organisation for Animal Health (2026) WOAH Statement on Hantavirus [online]. Available from: https://www.woah.org/en/woah-statement-on-hantavirus/ [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- UK Health Security Agency (2021) Andes hantavirus: epidemiology, outbreaks and guidance [online]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/andes-hantavirus-epidemiology-outbreaks-and-guidance [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- UK Health Security Agency and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (2026) UKHSA update on the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak [online]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-update-on-the-hantavirus-cruise-ship-outbreak [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- UK Health Security Agency (2026) What you need to know about the hantavirus outbreak linked to the Dutch cruise ship [online]. Available from: https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/05/12/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-hantavirus-outbreak-linked-to-the-dutch-cruise-ship/ [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2026) Andes hantavirus outbreak: ECDC continues working on the frontline to support EU Member States [online]. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/andes-hantavirus-outbreak-ecdc-continues-working-frontline-support-eu-member-states [Accessed 4 June 2026]
- Weese, S. (2026) Hantavirus, pets and the cruise ship cluster. Worms & Germs Blog [online]. Available from: https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2026/05/articles/animals/dogs/hantavirus-pets-and-a-cruise-ship-outbreak/ [Accessed 4 June 2026]
Published evidence: prevalence in animals
This section presents a selection of references that provide evidence around the prevalence and transmission of hantavirus in different populations of rodents.
- Guo, Z. et al. (2026) Studies on prevalence of Hantavirus in small mammals in Southeast Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 20 (3), no. e0014075. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0014075
- Ortiz, N. et al. (2025) Orthohantavirus rodent hosts and genotypes in Southern South America: A narrative review. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19 (9), no. e0013489. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013489
- Tortosa, F. et al. (2024) Seroprevalence of hantavirus infection in non-epidemic settings over four decades: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 24, no. 2553. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20014-w
- Astorga, F. et al. (2018) Distributional ecology of Andes hantavirus: a macroecological approach. International Journal of Health Geographics, 17, no. 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12942-018-0142-z
- Cabrera, A. et al. (2023) Deciphering the hantavirus host range combining virology and species distribution models with an emphasis on the yellow pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys flavescens). Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, no. 2730050. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2730050
- Pounder, K.C. et al. (2013) Novel hantavirus in wildlife, United Kingdom. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 19 (4), pp. 673-675. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1904.121057
- Dobly, A. et al. (2012) Sero-epidemiological study of the presence of hantaviruses in domestic dogs and cats from Belgium. Research in Veterinary Science, 92 (2), pp. 221–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2011.02.003
Published evidence: transmission to humans
This section presents a selection of references on zoonotic transmission and reports of human-to-human transmission.
- Toledo, J. et al. (2022) Evidence for human-to-human transmission of hantavirus: a systematic review. The Journal of infectious diseases, 226 (8), pp.1362–1371. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiab461
- Duggan, J.M. et al. (2017) A seroprevalence study to determine the frequency of hantavirus infection in people exposed to wild and pet fancy rats in England. Epidemiology & Infection, 145 (12), pp. 2458–2465. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268817001480
- Clement, J. et al. (2019) Wild rats, laboratory rats, pet rats: Global Seoul hantavirus disease revisited. Viruses, 11 (7), no. 652. https://doi.org/10.3390/v11070652
- Goodfellow, S.M. et al. (2025) A human pathogenic hantavirus circulates and is shed in taxonomically diverse rodent reservoirs. PLoS Pathogens, 21 (1), no. e1012849. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012849
- Cabrera, A. et al. (2023) Deciphering the hantavirus host range combining virology and species distribution models with an emphasis on the yellow pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys flavescens). Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, no. 2730050. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2730050
- Coelho, R.M. et al. (2024) Virological characterization of a new isolated strain of Andes virus involved in the recent person-to-person transmission outbreak reported in Argentina. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19 (6), no. e0013205. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013205
- Martínez, V.P. et al. (2020) “Super-spreaders” and person-to-person transmission of Andes virus in Argentina. New England Journal of Medicine, 383 (23), pp. 2230–2241. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa2009040
About evidence collections
Evidence collections bring together collections of published papers on topics of interest and importance to the veterinary professions. Papers are chosen for relevance and accessibility, with the full text of articles either being available through the RCVS Knowledge library, on open access or from other publications to which a significant number of veterinary professionals are likely to have access. This means that there may be relevant evidence that is not included.
If you would like assistance in searching for further evidence on this topic you may find the following helpful EBVM Toolkit 2: Finding the best available evidence.
If you would like to suggest a paper for inclusion in one of our published evidence collections, or a topic for a future collection, please email library@rcvsknowledge.org
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