Evidence-based answers on symptoms, transmission, the 2026 cruise ship outbreak, and prevention. Last updated: May 2026 · Sources: WHO, CDC, PAHO.
These answers are designed for quick orientation, not personal medical triage. If symptoms are severe, worsening, or linked to possible rodent exposure or contact tracing, use qualified medical care and current local public-health instructions.
Andes virus (ANDV) is a hantavirus associated with southern South America, especially Chile and Argentina. It is the hantavirus most often cited for documented limited person-to-person transmission among close contacts. It can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, a rare but severe illness that requires urgent clinical care.
Early symptoms can look like influenza or other viral illnesses: fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, chills, dizziness, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. Severe disease can progress to cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, difficulty breathing, shock, or cardiopulmonary failure. There is no specific antiviral cure; care is supportive and urgent medical evaluation matters when breathing symptoms appear after possible exposure.
CDC Andes virus materials describe signs and symptoms as appearing 4 to 42 days after exposure. People under public-health monitoring should follow their health department's instructions, because timing, exposure type, and testing guidance can change during an active investigation.
Yes. Andes virus is unique among hantaviruses in its confirmed person-to-person transmission potential, documented in Chile and Argentina. Transmission occurs through close contact with an infected person's respiratory secretions. No other hantavirus species has demonstrated this capability. WHO and CDC recommend standard and droplet precautions for confirmed ANDV cases.
In 2026, a multi-country Andes hantavirus event was linked to the MV Hondius expedition cruise ship. WHO, CDC, ECDC, and national authorities have published updates, risk assessments, contact-management guidance, and laboratory context. The important distinction is that official sources are still separating confirmed infection, exposure history, contact monitoring, and source investigation.
Case counts should be read as date-stamped snapshots. WHO materials referenced 11 cases including three deaths as of 13 May 2026, while ECDC reported nine confirmed cases, two probable cases, zero suspected cases, and three deaths on its 20 May 2026 outbreak page. Always verify the newest WHO, ECDC, CDC, or national authority update before sharing numbers.
The primary route is inhalation of aerosolized rodent excreta (urine, feces, saliva) from infected long-tailed pygmy rice rats (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus) — the main reservoir host in southern Chile and Argentina. Bites from infected rodents and, uniquely for ANDV, close contact with infected humans also pose a transmission risk.
Individuals at elevated risk include: rural workers and campers in Patagonia (Chile/Argentina), travelers participating in outdoor activities (hiking, trekking, camping) in endemic areas, people staying in cabin accommodations with evidence of rodent infestation, and close contacts of confirmed ANDV patients (healthcare workers, household members).
There is no simple at-home cure for hantavirus disease. Care is medical and supportive, especially for severe respiratory or cardiopulmonary symptoms. People with compatible symptoms after possible exposure should seek urgent clinical evaluation.
Travelers should avoid contact with wild rodents and contaminated droppings, urine, saliva, nests, or dust; air out enclosed spaces before entering or cleaning; avoid dry sweeping or vacuuming rodent material; and seek medical advice if compatible symptoms develop after possible exposure. During the MV Hondius investigation, people identified as contacts should follow public-health monitoring instructions rather than general travel advice.
Diagnosis is confirmed via RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) detecting ANDV RNA in blood, ELISA serology detecting IgM/IgG antibodies, and immunohistochemistry on tissue samples. Point-of-care rapid tests are not yet widely available in most clinical settings.
Both cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, but Sin Nombre virus (SNV) — the dominant hantavirus in North America — does NOT spread from person to person. Andes virus is unique in its confirmed interpersonal transmission. SNV is carried by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) in the western United States and Canada.