The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health of the HKSAR Government has recently reminded the public to stay vigilant about recent hantavirus developments. These include a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 4 May 2026, indicating a cluster on the international cruise ship “MV Hondius” which was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in seven affected individuals, three deaths, and one patient currently in intensive care in South Africa. Additionally, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control reported the second hantavirus case of this year on 3 May 2026.

Hantaviruses are a group of viruses belonging to the Bunyaviridae family that are mainly found in rodents (such as rats, mice and voles). Hantavirus is mainly transmitted through direct contact with the faeces, saliva or urine of infected rodents or by inhalation of the virus in their aerosolised excreta. People may also be infected through bites from infected rodents, consuming contaminated food, or touching the eyes, nose, or mouth after contact with contaminated articles. Human-to-human transmission is extremely rare.

Hantaviruses cause two main groups of diseases in humans: Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which occurs primarily in Europe, Asia, and Africa; and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which mainly occurs in the Americas.

In HFRS, symptoms include intense headache, back and abdominal pain, fever, chills, nausea, and blurred vision, and may progress to low blood pressure and acute kidney failure. In HPS, early symptoms include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, with respiratory symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath developing 4 to 10 days later. The mortality rate for HPS can be as high as approximately 40%. The incubation period ranges from 1 to 8 weeks. There is no specific treatment; supportive care is the mainstay of management.

As there is currently no vaccine against hantavirus available in Hong Kong, rodent control remains the primary preventive strategy. CHP advise travellers to take the following precautions:

• Perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose, or eyes;
• Eliminate sources of food and nesting places for rodents in the living environment by storing food properly, keeping premises clean, and disposing of refuse in covered dustbins daily;
• Avoid handling live or dead rodents, entering rodent-infested spaces, or handling rodent excreta or nests without appropriate personal protective equipment;
• Avoid visiting areas with poor environmental hygiene and avoid contact with rodents or their excreta. Adventure travellers and campers should take precautions to exclude rodents from tents or other accommodation and protect all food from rodent contamination;
• Anyone who develops symptoms after potential exposure should seek medical attention promptly and inform their doctor of any relevant history.

Members of the public may visit the CHP’s webpages for more information and preventive advice on hantavirus.