With a recent hantavirus cluster reported on a cruise ship making global headlines, the World Health Organization (WHO) has provided key details on this virus in its latest fact sheet.

What is Hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are a group of viruses belonging to the family Hantaviridae. They naturally infect rodents such as rats, mice, and voles without causing illness in the animals. Humans get infected accidentally when they come into contact with the virus from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Different strains of the virus cause varying diseases depending on the region. In the Americas, they often lead to Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS), a severe respiratory illness. In Europe and Asia, including parts of India, they typically cause Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which mainly affects the kidneys and blood vessels.