Finland adds Andes virus to dangerous disease list - Helsinki Times

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• Primary
  Finland adds Andes virus to dangerous disease list - Helsinki Times↗

  helsinkitimes.fi · 2026-06-01

  Finland has classified the disease caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus as a generally hazardous infectious disease following a deadly outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship. This decision, approved on May 11, 2026, grants authorities legal powers to order quarantine measures. Two Finnish residents were potentially exposed during a flight on April 25 and have returned to Finland, where health officials are assessing quarantine needs. The risk to the public is considered extremely low, and human-to-human transmission of the Andes virus is rare.

• Reference
  Finland classifies Andes virus-linked disease as a 'public health risk' - EDNEWS↗

  ednews.net · 2026-06-01

  Finland has designated the illness caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus as a 'public health risk' following reported potential exposure cases. This classification allows for compensation for individuals required to self-isolate. The decision comes after two people may have been exposed on a flight last month. Globally, the Andes hantavirus outbreak has resulted in five confirmed cases and three deaths, with the WHO stating the risk remains limited.

• Reference
  Two people in Finland placed in hantavirus quarantine - Helsinki Times↗

  helsinkitimes.fi · 2026-06-01

  Two Finnish citizens have been placed under a 42-day quarantine after potential exposure to the Andes strain of hantavirus during an international flight on April 25. The flight was from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, and an infected traveler who later died was briefly on board. Finnish health authorities confirmed the exposed passengers remain asymptomatic, and the risk of infection in Finland is considered very low. Finland has classified the Andes strain as a generally hazardous communicable disease.

• Reference
  Two people quarantined in Finland due to possible hantavirus exposure↗

  vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com · 2026-06-01

  Two Finnish citizens were placed under a 42-day quarantine starting May 12, 2026, following potential exposure to the Andes strain of hantavirus during a flight from Johannesburg on April 25. They were seated near an infected passenger linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported that both individuals remained asymptomatic, and the risk of illness was considered low. Finland classified hantavirus as a particularly dangerous infectious disease to enable official quarantine measures.

• Reference
  Two people quarantined in Finland due to possible hantavirus exposure↗

  unn.ua · 2026-06-01

  Finland classified hantavirus as a particularly dangerous infectious disease, allowing for the official placement of individuals at risk of infection into quarantine. Two Finnish citizens were placed under a 42-day quarantine following potential exposure to the virus on a flight on April 25. According to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, there are currently no confirmed cases of infection in Finland, and the risk of illness is considered extremely low. The quarantine decision is made by regional health authorities.

• Reference
  Finland classifies Andes virus-linked disease as a 'public health risk'↗

  ednews.net · 2026-06-01

  Finland has labeled the illness caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus as a 'public health risk' after potential exposure cases were reported. This classification enables compensation for individuals required to stay home following possible contact with the virus. The decision follows a report from Finland's Institute for Health and Welfare that two people may have been exposed to hantavirus on a flight last month. Finnish Social Security Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen stated that the current risk remains limited.

• Reference
  Very low risk of hantavirus to the European population - THL↗

  thl.fi · 2026-05-08

  The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has assessed the risk of wider hantavirus spread in Europe as very low. This assessment follows a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that departed from Argentina, where five confirmed and three suspected cases of Andes virus have been reported, including three deaths. Two Finnish travelers may have been exposed to hantavirus on a flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Amsterdam. These individuals, who are asymptomatic, have returned to Finland and are being monitored by health authorities. In response, Finland's Ministry of S

• Reference
  Why is hantavirus so deadly? It's not what you may think - Science News↗

  sciencenews.org · 2026-05-26

  New World hantaviruses, such as the Andes virus, cause severe respiratory illness but differ from common viruses that lead to lung failure. These hantaviruses grow slowly but are highly lethal, claiming up to half of those infected, yet survivors experience no lasting damage. Scientists have found that hantaviruses infect cells lining blood vessels throughout the body, particularly capillaries, rather than directly attacking lung cells. This understanding is informing the monitoring of over 150 individuals quarantined worldwide after the recent Andes hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius crui

• Reference
  THL: Two Finns monitored after hantavirus exposure on flight - Helsinki Times↗

  helsinkitimes.fi · 2026-06-01

  Finnish health authorities are monitoring two travelers who were possibly exposed to the Andes strain of hantavirus on a KLM flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25, 2026. They were seated near an infected passenger linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak. Both individuals have since returned to Finland and remain asymptomatic, isolating voluntarily as a precautionary measure.

• Reference
  Frequently asked questions about hantavirus and its spread - THL↗

  thl.fi · 2026-05-12

  The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) states that the risk of hantavirus to people in Finland is very low. In Europe, the Puumala virus is most common, found mainly in Finland and Sweden, causing nephropathia epidemica (bank vole fever) with over a thousand cases annually but extremely rare fatalities. The Andes virus, linked to the cruise ship outbreak, does not occur naturally in Europe.

• Reference
  Two people in Finland placed in hantavirus quarantine - Helsinki Times↗

  vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com · 2026-06-02

  Two individuals in Finland were placed in quarantine after possible exposure to the Andes strain of hantavirus during an international flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25. The Finnish government classified the Andes strain as a generally hazardous communicable disease, allowing authorities to impose formal quarantine orders and provide compensation. The exposed passengers remain without symptoms.

• Reference
  Why is hantavirus so deadly? It's not what you may think - Science News↗

  vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com · 2026-06-02

  Puumala virus, an Old World hantavirus carried by bank voles, caused an average of 3,100 cases annually in Europe from 2010 through 2020, particularly in Finland, Sweden, and Germany. Antibodies that linger for decades in people who have recovered from Puumala virus infections could also fight Andes virus, and these infections may provide lifelong immunity.

• Reference
  Two people quarantined in Finland due to possible hantavirus exposure | УНН↗

  unn.ua · 2026-06-02

  On May 12, 2026, Finland classified hantavirus as a particularly dangerous infectious disease, enabling official quarantine for at-risk individuals. Two Finnish citizens were placed under a 42-day quarantine after potential exposure to the Andes strain during a flight on April 25. They remain asymptomatic, and the risk of infection in Finland is considered extremely low, with no confirmed cases in the country.

• Reference
  Hantavirus in Finland: surveillance, strains, signals - Hantaflow↗

  hantaflow.com · 2026-06-02

  This page, updated May 6, 2026, states Finland has the highest per-capita hantavirus notification rate in Europe (14.5 cases/100,000 in 2023). It mentions "Number of hantavirus cases from cruise outbreak rises to 13: WHO - Daily Finland" from 4 days ago (May 2, 2026).

• Reference
  Two Finnish Travelers Monitored After Hantavirus Exposure on Flight↗

  vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com · 2026-06-02

  On May 8, 2026, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) announced that two Finnish travelers are under monitoring following potential exposure to the Andes strain of hantavirus. The exposure occurred on an April 25 flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, where they were seated near an infected passenger linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak. Both individuals are asymptomatic and have voluntarily isolated. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has assessed the risk of wider spread in Europe as very low.

• Reference
  Finland classifies Andes virus-linked disease as a 'public health risk'↗

  ednews.net · 2026-06-02

  Finland officially classified the illness caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus as a 'public health risk' on May 13, 2026, following potential exposure cases. This classification enables compensation for individuals required to stay home after possible contact with the virus. Finnish Social Security Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen noted that the current risk remains limited, describing it as 'a very small public health risk at the moment.' The decision comes after Finland's Institute for Health and Welfare reported that two people may have been exposed to hantavirus on a flight last month. G

• Reference
  Two people in Finland placed in hantavirus quarantine↗

  helsinkitimes.fi · 2026-06-02

  Finnish health authorities placed two individuals in quarantine on May 12, 2026, after possible exposure to the Andes strain of hantavirus during an international flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25. The exposed passengers, who remain asymptomatic, are undergoing a 42-day quarantine period. Finland's government classified the Andes strain as a generally hazardous communicable disease, which allows authorities to impose formal quarantine orders and provides affected individuals access to infectious disease compensation payments. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)

• Reference
  Frequently asked questions about hantavirus and its spread - THL↗

  vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com · 2026-06-02

  The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) provides information on the endemic Puumala virus in Finland, which causes nephropathia epidemica (bank vole fever). Finland experiences over a thousand cases annually, though fatalities are extremely rare. The article, published May 12, 2026, also addresses the Andes virus from the recent cruise ship outbreak, but emphasizes that the risk for people in Finland from the Andes virus is very low.

• Reference
  Finland adds Andes virus to dangerous disease list↗

  vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com · 2026-06-03

  Finland has classified the disease caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus as a generally hazardous infectious disease following a deadly outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. This measure, approved on May 11, 2026, gives authorities legal powers to order quarantine for exposed individuals. Two Finnish travelers potentially exposed on a flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam are being monitored.

• Reference
  Finland designates Andes virus-related illness as 'public health risk' - Anadolu Ajansı↗

  vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com · 2026-06-03

  Finland has classified the illness caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus as a 'public health risk,' allowing compensation for those required to stay away from work after possible exposure. This decision follows reports that two people may have been exposed during a flight last month, linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak. Finnish authorities consider the current risk level limited. The Andes strain is the only hantavirus known for human-to-human transmission.