Hantavirus News and Research

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Andes hantavirus outbreak highlights global spillover and transmission risks

A Virginia Tech disease ecologist said the outbreak of Andes hantavirus aboard the international MV Hondius cruise ship underscores how little scientists still know about the viruses circulating silently in wild rodent populations before they spill into humans.

11 May 2026

Andes hantavirus outbreak confirmed on Atlantic cruise ship

The Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases of the Geneva University Hospital (HUG), a WHO collaborating center, has just identified the strain of hantavirus that caused three deaths on a cruise ship in the Atlantic ocean.

8 May 2026

Eight hantavirus cases linked to MV Hondius cruise ship

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, briefed media today on a cluster of hantavirus cases linked to a cruise ship, the MV Hondius.

8 May 2026

Hantavirus scare on cruise ship prompts WHO response

Hantavirus infections among cruise ship passengers have sparked a global health response, highlighting the need for effective outbreak management strategies.

7 May 2026

Cruise ship-linked hantavirus cases highlight zoonotic infection risks

The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing eminent human and animal virologists from more than 90 Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in over 40 countries dedicated to advancing research, collaboration, and pandemic preparedness, is closely monitoring reports of a hantavirus cluster linked to a cruise ship traveling in the Atlantic, which has resulted in multiple severe cases and fatalities.

5 May 2026

New structural insights pave way for hantavirus vaccines

Hantaviruses, transmitted from rodents to people, have a death rate approaching 40%. They're found around the world, and because there are no approved vaccines or treatments, they're among the pathogens of highest concern for future pandemics.

27 Feb 2026

Florida chickens help scientists forecast West Nile virus outbreaks

A new study has significant bearing on the hackneyed joke about chickens and their numerous reasons for crossing roads.

17 Sep 2025

Breakthrough bat organoid platform sheds light on behavior of zoonotic viruses

Did you know that more than 75% of new infectious diseases affecting humans originally come from animals? Bats, in particular, are natural hosts to some of the world's most dangerous viruses, including those responsible for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), MERS-CoV, influenza A, and hantavirus outbreaks.

15 May 2025

NIH funds new research to combat emerging viruses

Albert Einstein College of Medicine has received a five-year, $14 million per year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to participate in a broad national effort to develop "plug-and-play" vaccines and antibody-based therapies against a wide range of emerging viruses. The grant is part of NIAID's new Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness (ReVAMPP) Network, which was announced earlier today.

14 Sep 2024

New research network focuses on high-priority viruses

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has established a pandemic preparedness research network to conduct research on high-priority pathogens most likely to threaten human health with the goal of developing effective vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. Currently, many of the diseases caused by these pathogens have no available vaccines or therapeutics, and investing in this research is key to preparing for potential public health crises - both in the United States and around the world. NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) expects to commit approximately $100 million per year to fund the program, pending the availability of funds.

14 Sep 2024

CDC study reveals critical gaps in hantavirus detection across the U.S. due to inconsistent testing standards

Researchers map the prevalence and genotype distribution of hantavirus in the U.S., highlighting significant regional differences and the need for standardized testing

25 Aug 2024

Southern expansion of hemorrhagic fever virus in Sweden linked to bank voles

Researchers have discovered that bank voles in Skåne, southern Sweden, carry a virus that can cause hemorrhagic fever in humans.

22 Mar 2024

New project combines traditional methods with metaviromics to study viral outbreaks in wild rodents

When, where, and why do diseases jump from animals to people? A new project will monitor how changing seasons, land use, and human behavior influence viral outbreaks in wild rodent populations, to identify hotspots with high potential for spillover into people.

31 Oct 2023