The World Health Organization is investigating several cases of severe acute respiratory illness detected on board a cruise ship in the Atlantic, possibly linked to a hantavirus. These viruses, transmitted to humans by infected wild rodents, can cause serious respiratory or cardiac problems, as well as hemorrhagic fevers. No vaccine or specific antiviral treatment is available.
Found on every continent, hantaviruses are distinguished by their geographic distribution and clinical effects. Human-to-human transmission remains rare. Their name comes from the Hantaan River, on the border between the two Koreas, where several thousand soldiers were infected during the Korean War.
Contamination occurs primarily through inhalation of dust contaminated by rodent urine, saliva, or droppings, or through direct contact with these animals. Activities in forests, in buildings that have been closed for a long time, or in rural areas increase the risk. Prevention relies on limiting contact with rodents and their droppings.
The infection usually begins with flu-like symptoms. Two forms predominate: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, found in the Americas, with a mortality rate that can reach 38%, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, observed mainly in Europe and Asia, which can lead to kidney failure. Approximately 200 cases of pulmonary syndrome are reported each year in the Americas.
 Pascal Lemontel
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04/05/2026 | 
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