Last updated:
Current status
There is an outbreak of hantavirus infection on a cruise ship off the coast of Praia, Cape Verde, in the Atlantic Ocean.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is managing an internationally coordinated response, including evacuations and risk assessment, and currently assesses the risk to the global population from this event as being low.
We are working closely with other government agencies to monitor the situation.
There are no reports of hantavirus infection in humans in Australia.
About hantavirus
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses which can cause:
- serious respiratory illness (hantavirus pulmonary syndrome)
- haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome).
Different types of hantaviruses occur in different parts of the world.
Hantaviruses can infect people after exposure to the urine, faeces or saliva of an infected rodent. People can be infected:
- through contact with an infected rodent or its faeces or urine
- by breathing in contaminated dust or aerosols in rodent infested areas
- through contact with items or materials that have been contaminated with fluids from an infected rodent
- by getting bitten or scratched by an infected rodent – but this is rare.
Rarely, the Andes virus (a member of the hantavirus group) can be transmitted between people with close, prolonged contact.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus infection. People with hantavirus infection usually receive supportive care in a hospital.
Symptoms
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
Early symptoms can include:
- fatigue
- fever
- muscle aches, especially in the thighs, hips, and back, and sometimes in the shoulders.
Some people also experience:
- headaches
- dizziness
- chills
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- abdominal pain.
About 4 to 10 days after symptoms start, people experience:
- coughing
- shortness of breath
- tightness in the chest, as the lungs fill with fluid.
Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome
Initial symptoms include:
- intense headaches
- back and abdominal pain
- fever/chills
- nausea
- blurred vision
- flushed face
- inflammation or redness of the eyes
- rash.
Later in their illness, people with hantavirus may have:
- low blood pressure
- lack of blood flow (acute shock)
- internal bleeding (vascular leakage)
- acute kidney failure, which can cause severe fluid overload
Protecting yourself when travelling
There is no vaccine for hantavirus infection. But you can take steps to prevent being exposed to the virus.
If you are travelling overseas, check Smartraveller and know how to protect yourself from infectious diseases.
If you’re going to an area where hantavirus infection has been detected:
- avoid being around rodents and areas where rodents live
- follow good hygiene practices, such as hand hygiene – including after touching animals, visiting people who are sick, or being out in public places.