WHO Report on Hantavirus Cases on a Cruise Ship: Assessment of the Situation for Germany | German Center for Infection Research
GermanyConfidence 90%1 week ago
The German Center for Infection Research assesses the hantavirus risk for Germany, considering an outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship caused by the South American Andes virus and the unchanged risk from indigenous German hantaviruses.
Species mentioned
- human
- bank vole
- rodent
Source articles
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- PrimaryWHO Report on Hantavirus Cases on a Cruise Ship: Assessment of the Situation for Germany | German Center for Infection Research
dzif.de · 2026-05-18
The German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) has assessed the implications of the MV Hondius cruise ship hantavirus outbreak for Germany. The cases were caused by the South American Andes virus, known for its rare human-to-human transmission. However, the DZIF states that the risk from indigenous German hantaviruses, such as Puumala, Dobrava-Belgrade, Tula, and Seoul viruses (carried by bank voles and other rodents), remains unchanged, as human-to-human transmission has not been observed for these European strains. The Andes virus does not naturally occur in Europe.
Reminder
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