Hantavirus has limited person-to-person transmission and is unlikely to trigger a pandemic, with no officially confirmed deaths linked to the current outbreak reported in India, according to a report released on Friday.
The report by Elara Capital stated that the low transmissibility of hantavirus means outbreaks are generally localised and self-limiting, even though individual infections can be severe.
Hantavirus infections remain rare globally, and there are currently no widely approved vaccines or antiviral treatments specifically authorised by the USFDA for the disease.
Hantaviruses are rodent-borne RNA viruses that primarily infect humans through inhalation of aerosolised particles from rodent urine, saliva, or droppings.
The report noted that only certain strains of hantavirus, particularly the Andes strain, have shown rare instances of person-to-person transmission.
It also highlighted the significant difference between hantavirus and SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, which spread rapidly and led to a global pandemic.
Two major clinical syndromes associated with hantavirus have been reported worldwide.
The first is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), mainly seen in the Americas, which can lead to severe respiratory failure and has mortality rates of up to 40–50 per cent.
The second is Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), commonly reported in Europe and Asia, which affects the kidneys and blood vessels and can have mortality rates of up to 15 per cent in severe cases.
The report also referred to the recent 2026 outbreak onboard the cruise ship MV Hondius linked to the Andes strain, which resulted in a limited number of infections and three deaths.
Although the incident drew global attention, the spread remained contained.
The first recognised outbreak of HPS was reported in 1993 in the Four Corners region of the United States, covering Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.
The outbreak, caused by the Sin Nombre virus, resulted in 53 cases and 32 deaths, indicating a high fatality rate.
According to the report, China recorded around 2.1 lakh HFRS cases between 2004 and 2019, along with nearly 1,855 deaths.
In the United States, 864 hantavirus infections were reported between 1993 and 2022, with approximately 302 deaths recorded during that period.
With Inputs From IANS
