Transmission dynamics of Andes virus and implications for outbreak monitoring

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a severe respiratory disease with a case-fatality rate historically exceeding 30%.1 Although most hantaviruses are primarily transmitted via the inhalation of aerosolised rodent excreta, the Andes orthohantavirus shows substantial potential human-to-human transmission. Following the notification of an Andes orthohantavirus cluster aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship2 (appendix p 1), we re-evaluated historical data of Andes orthohantavirus transmission from outbreak settings to inform public health monitoring and intervention strategies.