Main points
- Andes virus does not threaten Ukraine due to the lack of a natural reservoir, which is a rodent that lives exclusively in South America.
- There have been no confirmed cases of hantavirus infection among Ukrainians on board the MV Hondius.
Is Ukraine threatened by hantavirus / Collage by Channel 24, photo AP
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There was a recent outbreak of the hantavirus Andes virus on the cruise ship MV Hondius. Several people have died and others are infected.
Is Ukraine threatened by Andes hantavirus, the Public Health Center said.
Could Andes virus appear in Ukraine?
A strain of Andes virus was detected on the liner.
It does not exist in Ukraine: it does not circulate and cannot form a stable natural center.
But in our country, as in others, other serotypes of hantaviruses are registered. They are associated mainly with natural foci among rodents.
Despite the severe course of the disease among the passengers on the liner, the fatalities, and the possibility of limited human-to-human transmission of this strain of hantavirus, the risk to the European population is considered low.
We would like to remind you that earlier, the spokesperson for the Center for Public Health, Mykola Ganich, said on the air of the telethon “United News” that in Dozens of cases of hantavirus infection are recorded in Ukraine every year. For example, in the Khmelnytsky Infectious Diseases Hospital since the beginning of 2026, there have been 2 cases of hantavirus infection. The patients suffered from the disease in a state of moderate severity and have already completed treatment.
Why is Andes virus absent in Ukraine?
There is no natural reservoir of Andes virus in Ukraine.
Its only confirmed carrier in nature is the long-tailed dwarf rice hamster, a rodent that lives exclusively in South America. This species is absent in Europe and, in particular, in Ukraine. Without a local reservoir, stable circulation of the virus is impossible,
– the Public Health Center assured.
By the way, this species of rodent is mainly distributed in the forests and shrubs of the southern Andes in Chile and Argentina. According to one version, the infection of “patient zero” occurred precisely in Argentina.
Experts emphasize that human-to-human transmission of the virus is a rare exception. This requires extremely close contact. Not even the kind that occurs during coronavirus infection or the flu.
For reference, microbiologist Dr. Gustavo Palacios told CNN that only 3,000 cases of human-to-human transmission of Andes virus have been recorded in history. At the same time, it has a high mortality rate of 20 to 40%.
“Even in the case of the virus being introduced by a sick person (the incubation period can reach 6 weeks), further transmission in household conditions is unlikely. Only limited transmission with prolonged close contact has been documented,” the experts noted.
Please note! There have been no confirmed cases of infection among Ukrainian citizens who were on board the MV Hondius.
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses whose natural reservoirs are rodents.
Ways of infection:
- inhalation of dust contaminated with rodent excrement,
- through contact with contaminated surfaces,
- less often due to rodent bites.
Pay attention! “Patient Zero” is a 70-year-old deceased Dutchman Leo Schilperoorda. The man traveled a lot with his wife, who also died on board the liner. The couple were ornithologists. One of the versions of where and how they became infected is a garbage dump near the city of Ushuaia in southern Argentina. This is a popular tourist spot at the “end of the world”, it was from there that the last tourists boarded the liner. According to epidemiologists, the couple visited the dump in the hope of seeing rare Patagonian birds. At the same time, the Ushuaia authorities deny the presence of the virus in their area.
There are two main clinical forms of hantavirus infection worldwide:
- Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is a form characteristic mainly of Europe and Asia, in particular of Puumala and Dobrava hantaviruses, which also circulate in Ukraine.
- Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a form characteristic mainly of North and South America and can be caused by the Andes virus.
How to protect yourself from hantavirus / Photo by the Public Health Center
Important. The Center for Public Health emphasizes that during outbreaks of infectious diseases, false information and rumors are often spread, in particular about “new pandemics” or “new deadly viruses.” Experts ask to seek truthful information from official and scientific sources: official messages of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine; World Health Organization resources; materials of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, messages of the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
What are the symptoms of hantavirus?
Hantavirus symptoms usually appear 1 to 8 weeks after infection. Experts from the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine said that hantavirus infection can be accompanied by high fever, severe headache, nausea, lower back pain and problems with urination. In severe cases, bleeding, acute kidney injury or respiratory failure may occur.
One of the most severe variants of the disease is accompanied by high fever, severe exhaustion, muscle pain and headache, and later – serious kidney dysfunction.
Another form of infection initially resembles a common viral illness, but within a few days it can quickly progress to severe lung damage. Severe shortness of breath begins, fluid builds up in the lungs, and acute respiratory failure develops. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can progress very quickly and requires intensive care.
There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine, infectious disease physician Roman Ponomarenko told Channel 24.
Scientists are working on several approaches to vaccination and therapy for hantaviruses, but the work is being delayed due to a lack of funding.