VIRUS COMPARISON · UPDATED MAY 7, 2026

Andes Virus vs Hantavirus:
What Is the Difference?

Andes virus IS a hantavirus — specifically, it is one strain within the hantavirus family. There are over 20 known hantavirus strains worldwide. What makes Andes virus uniquely dangerous is a single critical difference:

🔴 Andes virus is the only hantavirus in the world confirmed to spread from person to person. Every other hantavirus strain can only spread from infected rodents to humans — not between people.

HANTAVIRUS STRAIN COMPARISON

STRAINREGIONP2P?FATALITYDISEASE
Andes Virus (ANDV)
← CURRENT OUTBREAK
South AmericaYES ✓~40%HPS
Sin Nombre VirusNorth AmericaNO~36%HPS
Hantaan VirusAsiaNO5–15%HFRS
Seoul VirusWorldwideNO<1%HFRS (mild)
Puumala VirusEuropeNO<0.1%NE (mild HFRS)

WHY ANDES VIRUS MATTERS MORE IN 2026

The 2026 MV Hondius outbreak is the first documented multi-country Andes virus cluster involving person-to-person spread on a vessel. Most hantavirus outbreaks are isolated to people who have direct contact with infected rodents in endemic regions. The MV Hondius situation is different: passengers without any rodent contact became infected through close contact with other infected passengers. This is why public health authorities are treating this outbreak with heightened concern despite the WHO's current "low risk to general public" classification.

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