The only hantavirus that spreads person to person

No. Both WHO and CDC assess the overall risk to the general public as very low. Andes virus requires close, prolonged contact to spread between people — it does not spread easily in casual settings. The WHO Director-General stated: "While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low." Critically, the natural rodent reservoir for Andes virus exists only in parts of Chile and Argentina — it cannot establish itself in European or North American rodent populations.

It is the only hantavirus documented to spread from person to person. Every other hantavirus — including Sin Nombre virus which causes most U.S. cases — only spreads from infected rodents to humans. Even Andes virus transmission between people is rare and requires close, sustained contact such as kissing, sharing utensils, or prolonged exposure to an infected person's respiratory secretions. It may also be airborne in very close-contact settings, which is why healthcare workers treating patients must use N95 respirators and full airborne isolation precautions.

The leading hypothesis is that the index patient — a Dutch man — contracted Andes virus from a rodent during a 4-month road trip through Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina, ending April 1, 2026. He boarded the MV Hondius just 4 days later, still within his incubation period, and likely spread the virus to others through close contact during his illness before hantavirus was suspected. The first death occurred April 11, but the connection to hantavirus wasn't made until a retrospective sample from his widow tested positive after she died in Johannesburg on April 26.

Incubation is typically around 2 weeks but can range 7–42 days. Symptoms begin with fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, and gastrointestinal issues (nausea, diarrhoea), then can rapidly progress to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and circulatory shock. The case fatality rate for the pulmonary form (HPS) is approximately 38%. There is no approved antiviral treatment — management is intensive supportive care.

CDC has confirmed zero U.S. cases from this outbreak. 18 American passengers were repatriated and are being monitored or treated at the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit in Omaha and Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. An additional 7 are in home quarantine across Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia. 11 Americans who sat near an ill cruise passenger on connecting flights are also quarantining at home.

If you were a passenger or crew member of the MV Hondius, or had close contact with someone who was, contact your local health department immediately. Symptoms within 42 days of last exposure should be treated as a medical emergency — call ahead before visiting a healthcare facility so they can take appropriate precautions. For general members of the public with no cruise ship connection, the risk is effectively zero at this time.

This site aggregates data from: WHO Disease Outbreak News (DON-599, DON-600, DON-601) · ECDC Andes Hantavirus Outbreak Update (May 14, 2026) · CDC Situation Summary & HAN Advisory #528 · Science News · CNN Health. Case counts reflect only publicly confirmed figures. Data is updated manually when WHO or ECDC publish new situation reports. This is an independent public information resource, not affiliated with any government agency.