The Andes variant: why at first we all assumed it was zoonosis and now we’re talking about human-to-human transmission

Health authorities are rethinking Andes hantavirus after evidence from Argentina, Chile, and a cruise outbreak suggests it can spread between people, not only from rodents.

Outbreak investigations and genetic sequencing point to limited human-to-human transmission in close-contact settings.

The finding could change containment guidance and increase concern about clustered outbreaks in households and enclosed environments like ships.