What is Hantavirus?

Hantavirus has been in the news a lot recently, but what is it? Hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that usually infect rats and mice ( rodents ). Transmission to humans is rare, but infection then causes a severe respiratory illness. Cases of hantavirus infection are rare, but its high fatality rate makes it a public health concern.

In the UK, Hantavirus is extremely rare. There have only been 11 human cases confirmed between 2012 and 2026.

CDC/ Cynthia Goldsmith, Luanne Elliott, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The risk to the general public from hantavirus is considered low, even with the current cases on the cruise ship MV Hondius.

Hantavirus Facts

Hantavirus is a single-stranded RNA virus of the family Hantaviridae and the order Bunyavirales.
Hantaviruses are usually spherical or oval in shape and very small. 80-120nm in diameter. In contrast, the chicken pox virus ( Varicella-Zoster ) has a diameter of 150-200 nm.
The disease caused by hantavirus varies by location. In the Americas, it can lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, which affects the lungs and heart. In Europe and Asia, it's known to cause haemorrhagic fever affecting the kidneys and blood vessels.
The incubation period is between 1 and 8 weeks after being exposed, and the first symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness and muscle pain.
Rodents can carry hantavirus for life without getting sick. They are known as the hosts. The virus is shed in their saliva, urine and droppings.
Hantavirus is not usually spread between people, although one strain (the Andes strain) is known to spread through very close human-to-human contact, mostly in Argentina and Chile.
Globally, around 15,000 to 60,000 cases are reported each year.
There's currently no cure or vaccine for hantavirus, so care focuses on managing symptoms.