Hantavirus worldwide: spread map, affected countries and latest statistics
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Timestamp shown in UTC unless otherwise indicated.
Hantavirus is not a new virus. It has lived on the planet for decades. But May 2026 added a completely new transmission route to the familiar picture.
Before the cruise ship outbreak, hantavirus was seen as a purely zoonotic infection. Now its spread map looks different. Here is where the virus lives permanently and where it appeared for the first time.
Natural outbreak zones worldwide
Each hantavirus strain is tied to its own rodent species. The rodent range determines the human risk zone.
| Region | Main strains | Disease type | Fatality rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe, Russia | Puumala, Dobrava | Renal syndrome | Below 1% — 15% |
| East Asia | Hantaan, Seoul | Renal syndrome | 1-15% |
| North America | Sin Nombre | Pulmonary syndrome | 30-40% |
| South America | Andes | Pulmonary syndrome | 30-50% |
| Africa | Sangassou | Renal syndrome | Limited data |
Background incidence before the outbreak
About 150,000 to 200,000 hantavirus cases are recorded worldwide each year. Most are hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Asia and Europe. China records up to 20,000 cases a year. Russia reports 5,000 to 8,000. Finland, Sweden and Germany each record several thousand Puumala infections annually.
The pulmonary form is far rarer. The US sees 20 to 40 HPS cases a year, mostly in western states: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California.
Global case numbers right now
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Confirmed cases (cruise) | 9 |
| Probable cases (cruise) | 2 |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Contacts under monitoring | 200+ |
| Affected countries | 20+ |
| Background HFRS cases in 2026 | ~50,000 (5-month estimate) |
Hantavirus by country: May 2026
| Country | Status | Figures |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Passengers and medics | 26 pass. + 12 medics in quarantine |
| USA | Contact monitoring | 41 under monitoring, 0 confirmed |
| France | Cruise case | 1 in ICU, 22 contacts |
| Spain | Cruise case | 1 mild case |
| UK | Monitoring | 32 at Arrowe Park, 6 on home isolation |
| Canada | Contact monitoring | 10 under monitoring |
| Italy | Contact screening | 4 — negative |
| Argentina | Endemic zone | Background Andes cases |
| Chile | Endemic zone | Background Andes cases |
| China | Endemic zone | Up to 20,000 HFRS/year |
| Russia | Endemic zone | 5,000-8,000 HFRS/year |
WHO and international response
WHO has been coordinating the global response since May 2. Key steps include confirming the Andes strain, alerting 12 countries, coordinating evacuation through Spain, recommending 42-day quarantine and urging countries to prepare for more cases. The global risk remains assessed as low.
Where patients are now
- Nebraska (USA) — main quarantine center, 16 people
- Atlanta (USA) — Emory University, 2 people
- Paris (France) — specialist hospital
- Madrid (Spain) — Gomez Ulla military hospital
- Arrowe Park (UK) — 26 people
- Nijmegen (Netherlands) — Radboudumc, 12 medics quarantined
Outlook
The peak of new case detection has likely passed. But the incubation period of up to 8 weeks means risk continues at least until late June. WHO and CDC do not expect major new clusters.
Sources
- WHO Hantavirus: who.int/health-topics/hantavirus
- CDC Hantavirus: cdc.gov/hantavirus
- ECDC: ecdc.europa.eu/en/hantavirus-infection
- Reuters: reuters.com — hantavirus coverage May 2026