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Hantavirus & travel safety

What travellers should understand about hantavirus risk — for general tourism, outdoor adventures, and expedition travel.

For informational awareness only. Travel risk is highly context-dependent. This overview is not a substitute for professional travel health advice. Consult a travel medicine specialist or your national travel health service before visiting high-risk areas. In a medical emergency, call 112 (Europe) or 911 (USA).

Understanding travel risk

For the vast majority of international travellers, hantavirus poses very low risk. Standard city tourism, beach holidays, and even most rural travel in affected regions does not bring people into meaningful contact with rodent habitats.

Risk increases significantly for people who engage in activities that disturb rodent habitats: camping in the wilderness, staying in rural cabins that have been closed, agricultural work, hiking in dense vegetation, wildlife research, and — as the 2026 MV Hondius case illustrated — expedition landings on remote sub-Antarctic islands with high rodent density.

The most important concept for travellers is the incubation window: symptoms may not appear until 7 to 39 days after the exposure event. This means a traveller may feel perfectly well during their trip and only become ill weeks after returning home. Medical professionals in countries where hantavirus is uncommon may not immediately consider it as a diagnosis without a clear travel history.

Regional risk overview

ELEVATED
Southern South America
STRAIN: Andes, Laguna Negra, Lechiguanas
COUNTRIES — Argentina, Chile, parts of Bolivia, Uruguay, southern Brazil
Highest HPS burden globally. Rural areas, agricultural land, Patagonia, and Andean foothills carry the most risk. The Andes virus — the only hantavirus with documented human-to-human spread — is endemic here.
MODERATE
Western United States
STRAIN: Sin Nombre virus
COUNTRIES — Four Corners region (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona), rural western states
Sin Nombre virus does not spread person-to-person. Risk is concentrated in outdoor and rural activities — camping, hiking, and cleaning of rural cabins. Urban risk is very low.
LOW–MODERATE
Scandinavia & northern Europe
STRAIN: Puumala virus (bank vole)
COUNTRIES — Finland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Germany, France, Russia
Puumala causes nephropathia epidemica — generally milder than HPS, rarely fatal. Seasonal outbreaks, particularly during bank vole population peaks. Hunters and forest workers at higher risk.
LOW–MODERATE
Eastern Europe & Balkans
STRAIN: Dobrava-Belgrade virus
COUNTRIES — Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Russia, parts of central Europe
Dobrava virus causes more severe HFRS than Puumala. Rural exposure risk, particularly after wet years that boost rodent populations.
MODERATE
East & Southeast Asia
STRAIN: Hantaan, Seoul virus
COUNTRIES — China, South Korea, Russia (Far East), parts of Southeast Asia
Hantaan virus causes severe HFRS in China and Korea. Seoul virus has near-global distribution via brown rats. Agricultural workers and people in peri-urban environments at highest risk.
CONTEXTUAL
Sub-Antarctic islands
STRAIN: Andes virus (rodent populations)
COUNTRIES — South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale Island, Falkland Islands
Limited human population but high rodent density. Significant in the context of the 2026 MV Hondius cluster. Expedition travellers, wildlife researchers, and vessel crew face exposure during shore landings.

Current outbreak context (2026)

The 2026 reporting year has seen hantavirus cases in 6 countries. The largest concentration remains in Argentina. The MV Hondius cluster — Andes virus confirmed by WHO — has triggered contact tracing across multiple countries for former passengers and crew.

CountryCasesDeathsLast updated
🇳🇱 Netherlands202026-05-06
🇩🇪 Germany112026-05-06
🇵🇭 Philippines112026-05-06
🇦🇷 Argentina112026-05-06
🇬🇧 United Kingdom102026-05-06
🇨🇱 Chile102026-05-06
Showing top 6 countries · View all countries →

Traveller checklist

BEFORE TRAVEL
✓ Check destination risk level (see table above)
✓ Consult travel medicine specialist for expedition or rural travel
✓ Pack N95/FFP2 masks if visiting dusty rural environments
✓ Pack disposable gloves for any outdoor activity
✓ Know the incubation window: symptoms can appear 7–39 days after exposure
✓ Note the nearest emergency service number at your destination
AFTER TRAVEL
→ Monitor for fever, muscle aches, or breathing difficulty for 6 weeks after return
→ If symptoms develop, contact a healthcare provider immediately
→ Tell your doctor about travel history and any potential rodent exposure
→ If you were on or near MV Hondius, contact your national health authority
→ Do not wait for symptoms to worsen — seek care early
→ Breathing difficulty requires emergency care — call 112 or 911
MV Hondius outbreak →Symptom guide →Prevention →What is hantavirus? →Country data →