Hantavirus outbreak 2026: International responses and key documents

Official updates and resources from the European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO):

On 11 May, the Health Security Committee (HSC), the EU's main public health crisis management body, adopted an opinion on the management of and response to the Andes hantavirus outbreak. This response outlined the EU coordination activities to date, and set out recommendations for the management of passengers after repatriation and suggestions for sequencing, research and further exchanges as the situation developed.

DG SANTE has created a dedicated web-page for sharing the latest updates on the European Union's response to the Andes Hantavirus outbreak: 

As part of its official response to the outbreak, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published an official Q&A to share key information and prevent misinformation regarding the outbreak. This Q&A continues to be updated. Daily updates, including the number of confirmed cases, are also shared on ECDC's dedicated web-page. 

ECDC has also issued a number of technical documents relating to the Andes Hantavirus - including:

Recommendations for self-quarantine (13 May)

Rapid scientific advice on laboratory testing of Andes virus (ANDV) for high-risk contacts under the MV Hondius outbreak (14 May)

Infection, prevention and control (IPC) measures for patients in healthcare settings (19 May)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has coordinated the international response to the outbreak, and has published an official toolbox including key reference documents, case definitions, data collection tools, laboratory confirmation, response tools and resources.