What is Hantavirus and how can it affect you?

Hantavirus refers to a group of viruses rather than a single illness. The viruses were named after the Hantan River in South Korea and include more than 20 known species, according to the World Health Organization.

Most hantavirus infections are linked to rodents such as rats and mice, with transmission commonly occurring through exposure to dried urine, saliva, or droppings from infected animals.

However, one strain known as the Andes virus is believed to spread from person to person in rare cases. South African health authorities recently confirmed the strain in two travellers — a British man currently hospitalised in Johannesburg and a Dutch woman who later died.

The Andes virus is mainly found in Argentina and Chile.

How hantavirus spreads

Hantavirus infections usually occur when people come into close contact with infected rodent waste, including urine, droppings, and saliva.

Transmission often happens when contaminated particles become airborne and are inhaled. This can occur while sweeping or cleaning areas where rodents have been present.

People can also contract the virus through bites from infected rodents.

Among the known hantavirus strains, only the Andes virus has shown evidence of limited human-to-human transmission, although such cases are considered extremely rare.

Where person-to-person spread occurs, it is usually linked to prolonged and close contact with an infected individual showing symptoms.

According to WHO official Maria van Kerkhove, hantavirus transmission is different from illnesses like flu, which spread through coughing and sneezing.

“We’re not talking about casual contact from very far away from one another,” she told the BBC.

Symptoms and severity

Hantavirus can lead to two serious illnesses.

The first is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which typically begins with symptoms such as fatigue, fever, and muscle pain. Patients may later develop headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, and abdominal discomfort.

In severe cases, breathing difficulties can rapidly develop, requiring urgent medical care. The Andes strain is one of the main causes of HPS and carries a mortality rate estimated at between 20 and 40 per cent.

The disease also has a long incubation period, with symptoms sometimes taking between one and eight weeks to appear.

The second illness linked to hantavirus is Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). It often begins with flu-like symptoms before progressing to complications affecting the kidneys.

Severe cases may result in low blood pressure, internal bleeding, acute kidney failure, and, in some instances, death.