Key takeaways:
Hantaviruses are viruses spread mainly by rodents.
They can cause serious illness in humans, but infections in humans are rare.
A recent outbreak linked to a cruise ship involves the Andes virus, the only known hantavirus strain that can spread between people through close and prolonged contact.
Most people are currently at very low risk. In the past, outbreaks of Andes virus have been limited and rapidly contained.
A rare virus linked to rodents has caused a deadly outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, hantavirus and its possible spread has people worried. It has brought back unpleasant reminders of COVID-19 outbreaks on cruise ships in the early days of the COVID pandemic in 2020.
But hantavirus behaves very differently. And, for most people, the risk remains very low for now.
Here’s what to know about hantavirus, the illnesses it can cause, and what a hantavirus outbreak means for you and your loved ones.
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can rarely infect people and cause serious illness. These viruses are found in rodents around the world. The rodents are infected with the virus, but they don’t get sick from it.
Of the many different types of hantavirus, only some cause disease in humans.
Hantavirus strains in the Americas (North, Central, and South) are different from those in Europe and Asia. The diseases caused by the strains are different, too, in terms of how they impact your body:
Lung and heart failure: In the Americas, hantavirus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) — a very severe illness that causes fluid buildup in the lungs and heart failure. The strain linked to the recent outbreak — the Andes virus — can lead to HPS.
Bleeding and kidney failure: In Europe and Asia, hantavirus strains can cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). This is a severe illness that causes widespread inflammation, bleeding problems, and kidney failure.
How is hantavirus transmitted?
Most hantavirus infections happen through contact with infected rodents, not other people.
Humans can become infected when they:
Breathe in particles from infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva
Come in contact with a contaminated surface and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth
Are bitten by an infected rodent
Person-to-person spread is very rare. In Europe and Asia, it hasn’t been documented.
But the Andes virus — the strain behind the current outbreak — is the only hantavirus known to spread between people, though this type of transmission isn’t common. Transmission of the Andes virus requires prolonged contact, such as living with or caring for someone who is sick.
Despite this, most Andes virus outbreaks in the past have been limited in size and successfully contained. This was done through public health measures like contact tracing and isolation.
What are the symptoms of hantavirus?
Symptoms of a hantavirus infection usually develop 1 to 8 weeks after exposure, depending on the virus strain.
Early symptoms are similar to many viral illnesses:
Fever
Headache
Muscle aches
Fatigue
Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
But as the infection progresses, symptoms can become more severe.
Symptoms of HPS seen in people with hantavirus infections in the Americas may include:
Cough
Shortness of breath
Low blood pressure
In Europe and Asia, where hantavirus causes HFRS, symptoms to look out for include:
Fever or flushed face
Unexplained bleeding, like in your mouth, skin, eyes, or urine
Swelling in your face, arms, or legs
Low blood pressure and dizziness
In both cases, symptoms can worsen fast.
How deadly is hantavirus?
Hantavirus infections in humans are rare, but they can quickly become life-threatening.
In the Americas, between 20% and 40% of people who get HPS will die from the illness.
In Europe and Asia, the fatality rate of HFRS is lower, ranging from 1% to 15% of people.
Can you treat hantavirus?
There’s no specific cure or antiviral treatment for hantavirus infections.
Treatment focuses on what’s known as supportive care. These are treatments that support the body and organs as they fight the infection and its complications. Supportive care can include:
Close monitoring in the hospital
Oxygen therapy or breathing support
IV fluids and medications
Support for the heart and kidneys
Treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU)
What the hantavirus outbreak means for the general public
Outbreaks like the recent hantavirus cases on the cruise ship can feel alarming. But they don’t change the overall risk for most people.
Hantaviruses aren’t new. Scientists have studied them for decades, so they know quite a bit about them already.
Hantavirus doesn’t spread easily through the air like the flu or COVID. Instead, hantaviruses:
Spread mainly through rodent contact
Have limited person-to-person transmission
Require close, prolonged contact when they do spread between people
Traveling on cruise ships — where people are in close quarters for extended periods — can increase the chance of transmission. But outside of those settings, person-to-person spread isn’t common.
Public health officials, like those at the World Health Organization (WHO), are working hard to monitor this outbreak. This involves tracking down people who may have been infected and looking for signs of wider spread.
According to the WHO and the CDC, the risk to the general public remains low at the time this article was published.
Frequently asked questions
There isn’t a vaccine that prevents hantavirus infection. That means protection depends on reducing exposure risk and recognizing symptoms early, so people can get care quickly if needed.
Most people don’t need to actively prevent hantavirus infection. But some people may have a higher risk than others. Examples are if someone has had close contact with rodents or their droppings, especially in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces.
Prevention comes down to avoiding contact with rodents and their waste. This includes keeping living and work spaces clean, sealing entry points to keep rodents out, and storing food securely.
If you’re cleaning an area where rodents may be present, avoid sweeping or vacuuming droppings (which can send virus particles into the air). Instead, dampen the area and use disinfectant while wearing gloves.
Good hand hygiene is also important. This means routinely washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
There isn’t a vaccine that prevents hantavirus infection. That means protection depends on reducing exposure risk and recognizing symptoms early, so people can get care quickly if needed.
Most people don’t need to actively prevent hantavirus infection. But some people may have a higher risk than others. Examples are if someone has had close contact with rodents or their droppings, especially in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces.
Prevention comes down to avoiding contact with rodents and their waste. This includes keeping living and work spaces clean, sealing entry points to keep rodents out, and storing food securely.
If you’re cleaning an area where rodents may be present, avoid sweeping or vacuuming droppings (which can send virus particles into the air). Instead, dampen the area and use disinfectant while wearing gloves.
Good hand hygiene is also important. This means routinely washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
The bottom line
Hantavirus is a virus that can cause rare but serious illness in humans. It’s usually linked to contact with rodents. The current outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean is caused by the Andes strain, the only known hantavirus to spread between people. That said, person-to-person spread is rare, and it mostly only happens with close and prolonged contact.
Despite the recent outbreak, the risk of being infected with hantavirus right now is very low for most people.
Why trust our experts?
References
American Lung Association. (2024). Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome: Symptoms and diagnosis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). About Andes virus.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). Hantavirus: Current situation.
Rivers, C. (2026). Here’s how freaked out you should be about the hantavirus cruise ship. The New York Times.
Rout, P., et al. (2023). Hemorrhagic fever renal syndrome. StatPearls.
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Hand hygiene.
World Health Organization. (2026). Hantavirus.
Your Local Epidemiologist. (2026). Hantavirus: Situation update and getting nerdy. SubStack.
