Virus strain guide

Andes Virus: The Hantavirus Strain That Can Spread Person-to-Person

Andes virus is the reason the MV Hondius outbreak is unusual. It is a South American hantavirus that can cause HPS and is the only hantavirus with documented limited person-to-person spread.

Quick Facts

Region

South America

CDC describes Andes virus as South American

Spread

Rare P2P

Close contact with a sick person

Timing

4-42 days

CDC symptom window

MV Hondius

Confirmed

WHO identified the cluster as Andes virus

What Makes Andes Virus Different

A Hantavirus With Rare Person-to-Person Spread

Andes virus can cause HPS, a severe respiratory disease. Its unusual feature is documented limited spread between people after close contact with a symptomatic person.

That difference changes public-health operations: contact tracing, isolation, and monitoring are more important than they would be for most hantaviruses.

MV Hondius Relevance

Why Contacts Are Monitored

WHO reported that confirmed MV Hondius cases were identified as Andes virus. The tracker currently records 9 confirmed cases, 2 probable cases, and 3 deaths.

Because symptoms can appear up to 42 days after exposure, contacts are monitored through 2026-06-21 in this dataset.

Public Risk

Low for People Not Linked to the Outbreak

Public-health agencies have described the wider public risk as low. The main focus is on people with direct MV Hondius exposure, close contact with cases, or relevant travel and rodent exposure history.

For everyone else, standard rodent-exposure prevention remains the relevant practical advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources