Hantaviruses are not one virus but a genus. Each strain has its own rodent reservoir, geography, syndrome, and lethality. Compare the four most clinically important strains side by side.
Case-Fatality Rate · side-by-side
% of confirmed cases that die
Andes and Sin Nombre cause pulmonary syndrome and kill roughly 1 in 3. Seoul and Puumala cause renal syndrome and are rarely fatal.
Aerosolized rodent excreta. Uniquely, person-to-person transmission has been documented during the prodromal phase — the only hantavirus with confirmed human-to-human spread.
Clinical course
Fever, myalgia, then rapid pulmonary edema and shock within 24–48h. Cardiopulmonary phase is the killer.
Notable outbreaks
1996
El Bolsón, Argentina
First documented person-to-person hantavirus cluster — 20 cases linked through household contact.
2018–19
Epuyén, Argentina
29 cases, 11 deaths in a Patagonian tourist village. Confirmed sustained P2P transmission.
2025–26
MV Hondius, Antarctica
First documented hantavirus outbreak on a vessel; suspected Andes virus exposure traced to South American port stop.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Sin Nombre orthohantavirus
Discovered 1993 (Four Corners, USA)
CFR
36–38%
🐀 Rodent reservoir
Deer mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus
🌍 Geography
North America (esp. US Southwest, western Canada)
United States · Canada · Northern Mexico
Transmission
Aerosolized urine, droppings, saliva from deer mice. No person-to-person transmission documented. Highest risk: cleaning closed cabins, sheds, barns.
Clinical course
Flu-like prodrome (3–7 days), then sudden respiratory failure. Hospital fatality is concentrated in the cardiopulmonary phase.
Notable outbreaks
1993
Four Corners, USA
Cluster of unexplained respiratory deaths in the Navajo Nation led to discovery of the virus and the entire HPS syndrome.
2012
Yosemite National Park, USA
10 confirmed cases, 3 deaths among park visitors who stayed in 'Signature Tent Cabins' contaminated with mouse droppings.
2024
Mammoth Lakes, California
3 deaths in a small town within weeks; CDC investigation ongoing.
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
Seoul orthohantavirus
Discovered 1980 (Seoul, South Korea)
CFR
1–2%
🐀 Rodent reservoir
Brown rat (Norway rat)
Rattus norvegicus
🌍 Geography
Worldwide — wherever brown rats live
Global · Asia · Europe · Americas
Transmission
Aerosolized rat excreta. The only hantavirus with truly global distribution because its host rat is cosmopolitan. Pet rat exposures cause sporadic Western cases.
Clinical course
Milder than Asian HFRS strains. Fever, headache, back pain, hepatic dysfunction, mild renal involvement. Most recover.
Notable outbreaks
2017
USA & Canada
Multistate outbreak traced to pet rat breeders — 17 confirmed cases across 11 states, all non-fatal.
2018
United Kingdom
First UK domestic Seoul virus case in a pet rat owner; Public Health England issued guidance for breeders.
2023
France
Cluster of 3 cases linked to pet rat colonies in suburban Paris.
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (mild form: nephropathia epidemica)
Puumala orthohantavirus
Discovered 1980 (Puumala, Finland)
CFR
<0.4%
🐀 Rodent reservoir
Bank vole
Myodes glareolus
🌍 Geography
Northern and Eastern Europe, Western Russia
Finland · Sweden · Germany · Russia · Belgium · France
Transmission
Aerosolized vole excreta in forests, woodpiles, summer cabins. Cases peak in late autumn and follow vole population cycles (every 3–4 years).
Clinical course
Acute kidney injury, fever, blurred vision, abdominal pain. Most cases are self-limiting; dialysis rarely needed. Called 'nephropathia epidemica' in Scandinavia.
Notable outbreaks
2007–08
Germany & Belgium
Largest European outbreak — over 3,000 cases, driven by a beech mast year and bank vole boom.
2017
Finland
Annual case count exceeded 3,500 — the country has the highest per-capita incidence of any hantavirus globally.
2024
Sweden
Mid-winter spike in northern counties tied to vole irruption and forestry workers in cabins.
Want to see live cases? The main tracker shows all confirmed and suspected outbreaks worldwide. For the full history see /history.
Sources: WHO Disease Outbreak News · CDC Hantavirus · PAHO Andes virus advisories · ECDC Puumala factsheets · ICTV taxonomy.
