Hantavirus alert: Why there’s still no vaccine and can it spread like Covid-19? Here’s what experts say about treatment, prevention, symptoms

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The incident involving the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, reportedly affected by hantavirus, has sparked concern across the world. Some people are comparing it to a new Covid-19-like pandemic, but health experts say the situation is completely different. World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has clarified that it is not Covid-19. At present, the public health risk from hantavirus remains very low.
Hantavirus is a virus that spreads from rodents to humans. It mainly causes two types of illnesses — one affects the lungs, known as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), while the other impacts the kidneys. The virus spreads through the urine, saliva, and droppings of infected rodents. When these dry out and become airborne, humans can inhale the particles and get infected. Unlike Covid-19, hantavirus does not spread easily through the air from person to person.

How Hantavirus Is Different From Covid-19

Health experts say hantavirus is very different from Covid-19. Covid-19 spread rapidly through the air when infected people coughed, sneezed, or even talked. Hantavirus, however, rarely spreads from one person to another.

Only the Andes strain has shown limited human-to-human transmission, mainly during very close and long-term contact, such as living together. Casual contact does not usually spread the virus.

Why There Is No Vaccine Yet

Even though around 60,000 to 1 lakh people are infected with hantavirus globally every year, there is still no approved vaccine in Europe, the US, or Latin America. Some strains of the virus can be very dangerous. The Andes strain, which causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), can have a death rate of up to 40%.

The recent MV Hondius cruise ship incident has again raised questions about whether vaccines should be developed before a major outbreak happens.

Moderna’s Vaccine Research

Since 2023, Moderna has been working with Korea University’s Vaccine Innovation Center under its mRNA Access program to develop a hantavirus vaccine. Tests on mice have shown promising results, but the vaccine is still in the preclinical stage and human trials have not started yet. The vaccine is mainly targeting strains that cause Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), not the Andes strain linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship cases.

Symptoms, Risks, and Cruise Ship Cases

Hantavirus symptoms initially look like the flu, including fever, tiredness, and headaches. After 4-10 days, patients may develop breathing problems and fluid buildup in the lungs. HPS has a death rate of around 40%, which is higher than Covid-19. However, experts say the risk of a global outbreak remains low because the virus does not spread easily between humans. On the MV Hondius cruise ship, 11 hantavirus cases were reported. Three people, a Dutch couple and a German tourist, died. Passengers have been sent back to their home countries and placed under quarantine.

Experts believe some passengers may have already been infected before boarding the ship in Argentina, where the virus is known to exist.

Can Hantavirus Become a Pandemic?

Health experts and agencies say a hantavirus pandemic is highly unlikely because human-to-human transmission is extremely limited. Unlike Covid-19, the virus does not spread easily through the air. People showing symptoms such as fever, fatigue, or breathing difficulties are being advised to seek medical help immediately. Since the incubation period can last from one to eight weeks, quarantine periods of up to six weeks are being followed in some cases. Experts say the best protection is avoiding contact with rodents, maintaining cleanliness, and staying alert. The World Health Organization and other health agencies continue to closely monitor the situation.