An outbreak of the hantavirus occurred on the Dutch cruise ship Hondius, prompting intervention by Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR), which organised the evacuation of two infected passengers and flew them back to Europe, specifically Amsterdam. After the operation, the aircraft returned to Luxembourg, where it underwent a full disinfection process.
The hantavirus is primarily transmitted from rodents to humans. However, one particular variant, called the Andes virus, which is mainly found in South America and is suspected to be responsible for the outbreak on the Hondius, can, in rare cases, be transmitted from person to person.
At present, there is no vaccine against the hantavirus: available treatments can only address the symptoms rather than cure the infection itself.
Hantaviruses are found on every continent. The virus is named after the Hantan River, which runs between North and South Korea. During the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, more than 3,000 soldiers were infected, some suffering from severe cases.
Globally, numerous types of hantaviruses exist, each differing in their geographical distribution and the illnesses they cause. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), rodents are the main transmitters of the virus.
Hantavirus infection most often occurs through contact with rodents, particularly mice and rats, which act as intermediate hosts. The virus is spread via their saliva, urine, or faeces.
Humans can contract the virus through bites, touching contaminated materials, or inhaling particles of contaminated dust. Such exposures can happen in forests, during gardening or agricultural work, or in buildings that have been unoccupied for extended periods.
The RKI warns that infection can also occur if contaminated materials or dust come into contact with an open wound, or through consumption of food tainted by the excrement of infected rodents. In Germany, the bank vole and the yellow-necked mouse have been identified as common transmitters of the hantavirus.
The typical incubation period is between two and four weeks, but in rare instances, symptoms may take up to 60 days to develop.
Symptoms of hantavirus infection in humans can vary greatly in severity. Most commonly, infection begins with fever, headache, and muscle pain – very similar to flu-like symptoms.
In serious cases, the disease can be fatal. According to the RKI, infections caused by the Andes virus in South America tend to be more severe than those caused by strains commonly found in Germany and Central Europe.
The RKI stated that while cases in Europe often remain mild but can affect the kidneys, South American hantaviruses can trigger severe pulmonary diseases. The situation of those affected can deteriorate rapidly, and the fatality rate is significantly higher, according to the German institute.
The two main diseases associated with hantavirus infection are hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HPS/HCPS) and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
HFRS is usually caused by virus strains found in Europe and Asia and can lead to kidney problems or complete renal failure. HPS or HCPS, meanwhile, occur more frequently with North and South American hantaviruses and attack the lungs, potentially resulting in respiratory failure.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 38% of those infected with the lung-affecting hantavirus die from the disease.
Canadian health authorities estimate that about 200 lung infections per year in North and South America can be linked to hantavirus infection. One high-profile case was that of Betsy Arakawa Hackman, wife of Hollywood actor Gene Hackman.
She died in February 2025 at the age of 63 from complications following a hantavirus infection, according to the autopsy report.
