Confirmation of Andes hantavirus infection in a traveller following a trip to France

Paris – 06.08.2026: A traveller who travelled through France in the second half of July has been confirmed to be infected with Andes hantavirus. According to the French Ministry of Health, the patient is currently isolating with their family in Spain. The person’s symptoms were only mild and have now subsided. The National Reference Centre for Hantaviruses confirmed this virus variant on Thursday.

French authorities have arranged medical care for the patient and reconstructed the person’s travel itinerary. A group of scientific experts discussed the next steps with the Directorate General of Health and Santé publique France on Thursday afternoon. The ministry also announced that it would coordinate at the European level.

According to the information available, there are no indications that the virus is circulating in the community. The investigation is therefore focusing on close contacts and stops during the trip in France. The ministry initially did not disclose which places the traveller had visited. There is also no information yet on the number of people who may have been exposed.

Hantaviruses are usually transmitted by infected rodents. Humans can become infected, for example, through dust particles stirred up from animal urine, faeces or saliva. The Andes variant holds a special position among hantaviruses because person-to-person transmission has been documented in rare cases. According to the World Health Organization, this mainly occurs with close and prolonged contact, for example within the same household or between intimate partners.

However, sustained widespread person-to-person transmission of Andes virus is not considered a typical mode of transmission. In a previous outbreak involving the cruise ship MV Hondius, international health authorities identified limited chains of transmission. The WHO declared the outbreak over on 2 July; all cases at the time were linked to the ship’s voyage.

It is not yet known whether the newly announced case is related to this outbreak. Authorities describe it as an imported case. Based on the travel itinerary, they will clarify whether there is a specific risk to other people. Laboratory confirmation and the patient’s isolation allow contact tracing to focus on encounters that could in principle involve transmission.

Hantavirus infections can progress severely depending on the variant and may affect the lungs, heart or kidneys, as well as other organs. There is currently no specific curative therapy; treatment mainly targets symptoms and possible complications. According to the WHO’s assessment, person-to-person transmission of Andes virus remains rare and generally requires close contact over a prolonged period.