Hantavirus, demystified.
A plain-English reference on the rodent-borne RNA virus family that causes HPS in the Americas and HFRS across Eurasia — built from CDC, WHO and NIH sources.
At a glance
What is hantavirus?
The Hantaviridae family is a group of enveloped, segmented RNA viruses carried for life by wild rodents. People catch them by breathing in dust from rodent urine, feces or saliva — almost never from one another.
HPS case-fatality
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (Sin Nombre, Andes), Americas. CDC US cohort 1993–2023.
Syndromes →HFRS cases / year
Global, mostly China; renal-and-hemorrhagic disease (Hantaan, Seoul, Puumala, Dobrava).
Syndromes →Bleach to clean
CDC's protocol: spray, wait 5 min, never sweep dry droppings.
Prevention →Cruise-ship outbreak
WHO-reported Andes-virus cluster on an Antarctic expedition vessel.
Outbreaks →Browse
The wiki
About
Family, genus, what makes it notable, quick-facts.
Virology
Tri-segmented negative-sense RNA, glycoproteins, replication.
Syndromes
HPS vs HFRS, species table, clinical course, mortality.
Transmission
How humans catch hantavirus, plus the Andes-virus exception.
Prevention
Rodent-proofing, the CDC cleanup protocol, what NOT to do.
Vaccine
Hantavax, Chinese bivalent, mRNA pipeline. Why none in the US.
Outbreaks
2026 cruise ship, 2025 Santa Fe case, US state activity.
History
Korean War, Four Corners, Yosemite, Epuyén — a timeline.
Hantavirus vs flu
How HPS differs from flu, COVID-19 and pneumonia.
Glossary
HFRS, HPS, ARDS, capillary leak, ECMO and friends.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is hantavirus contagious between people?
Almost never. Andes virus in South America is the only documented exception. Read more →
How rare is hantavirus?
About 30–50 US HPS cases / year and ~150,000 HFRS cases / year globally (mostly China). Per-case mortality is high; exposure is uncommon.
Is there a vaccine for hantavirus?
Yes in South Korea (Hantavax) and China. No vaccine is licensed in the US or EU. More on vaccines →