Hantaviruses are a group of viruses mainly carried by rodents. They can infect humans and cause serious disease affecting the lungs, heart and kidneys.
The virus usually spreads to humans when they come in contact with infected rodents or inhale dust contaminated with rodent urine, droppings or saliva. WHO states that prevention mainly depends on reducing human contact with infected rodents.
Types of Disease
Hantavirus infection is mainly associated with two broad disease patterns.
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome: More common in the Americas; it affects the lungs and can cause severe breathing difficulty.
- Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome: More common in Europe and Asia; it affects the kidneys and may cause fever, bleeding tendency and renal complications.
Different hantavirus species are linked with different rodent reservoirs and different geographical regions.
Transmission
- Rodent exposure: The most common route is contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings, saliva or nesting material.
- Aerosol inhalation: When contaminated dust is stirred up during cleaning, farming, storage work or travel, the virus can enter the air and be inhaled.
- Bite or scratch: Transmission through rodent bites or scratches is possible but less common.
- Person-to-person spread: Most hantaviruses do not spread from person to person. However, the Andes virus, found mainly in South America, is an exception and can rarely spread between people. CDC notes that Andes virus can spread through rodents, contaminated objects and rarely from a sick person.
Symptoms
Early symptoms can resemble flu, which makes early detection difficult.
Common early symptoms include:
- fever
- fatigue
- muscle pain
- headache
- dizziness
- chills
- nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
Severe disease may lead to:
- breathing difficulty
- fluid accumulation in lungs
- low blood pressure
- shock
- kidney complications
- death in severe cases
There is no specific curative antiviral treatment for hantavirus disease. WHO states that early supportive medical care is important and focuses on monitoring and managing respiratory, cardiac and kidney complications.
Global Burden
Hantavirus infections are uncommon globally, but they can be severe.
WHO’s May 2026 outbreak update noted that in the Region of the Americas, eight countries reported 229 cases and 59 deaths in 2025, with a case fatality ratio of 25.7%. In the European Region, 1,885 hantavirus infections were reported in 2023, the lowest rate during 2019–2023. WHO also notes that East Asia, especially China and South Korea, continues to report many cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome annually, though incidence has declined over time.
Latest 2026 Context
Hantavirus entered global news in May 2026 because of a multi-country cluster linked to cruise ship travel. WHO reported a cluster of hantavirus disease linked with the MV Hondius cruise ship, involving the Andes virus.
Reuters reported that CDC assessed the risk to the general US public as very low, despite the cruise-linked outbreak. The outbreak involved Andes virus, which is notable because it can show limited person-to-person transmission unlike most hantaviruses.
India Context
India does not currently face a major hantavirus public-health threat. In May 2026, after concerns over Indian nationals reportedly infected aboard a cruise ship, the Director of ICMR’s National Institute of Virology said the cases appeared isolated and that there was no immediate public-health threat to India. He also stated there was no evidence of community spread at that time.
However, India still needs awareness because rodent exposure is common in rural, peri-urban, storage, agricultural and disaster-affected settings.
Public Health Importance
Hantavirus is important because it shows how zoonotic diseases can emerge from routine human contact with animals and their habitats.
It is relevant for:
- zoonotic disease surveillance
- rodent control
- sanitation
- occupational health for farmers, warehouse workers and cleaners
- disaster management after floods or displacement
- travel-related disease monitoring
- One Health approach linking humans, animals and environment
Prevention
- Avoid direct contact with rodents and their droppings.
- Seal holes and gaps in houses, warehouses and storage rooms.
- Store food grains safely in rodent-proof containers.
- Do not sweep or vacuum rodent-contaminated areas dry, as this can aerosolise the virus.
- Wet contaminated areas with disinfectant before cleaning.
- Use gloves and masks while cleaning closed spaces with rodent infestation.
- Improve waste management and sanitation to reduce rodent presence.
- Monitor travellers or workers exposed to high-risk environments during outbreaks.
CDC specifically warns that fresh rodent urine, droppings or nesting material can release virus into the air when disturbed, leading to infection through inhalation.
Concerns
- Early symptoms look like common viral fever, so diagnosis may be delayed.
- Severe cases can progress rapidly.
- Many countries lack routine hantavirus surveillance.
- Rodent control is difficult in rural, forested, storage and informal settlements.
- Climate change, land-use change and human intrusion into rodent habitats can alter disease risk.
- Public panic can spread quickly during outbreaks, even when general risk is low.
Conclusion
Hantavirus is a rodent-borne viral disease that can cause severe lung or kidney complications. It is not usually transmitted from person to person, except for rare forms such as Andes virus.
The latest 2026 cruise-linked cluster shows why global surveillance and travel-linked outbreak monitoring matter. For India, there is no immediate public-health threat as per ICMR-NIV’s May 2026 assessment, but prevention through sanitation, rodent control, safe cleaning practices and zoonotic surveillance remains important.
