The May, 2026, Andes virus outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship (MV Hondius) that departed from Argentina,1 where the lethal virus was first described,2 represents a transmission context unprecedented in the known epidemiology of the virus. The Andes virus is the only member of the Hantaviridae family capable of efficient person-to-person spread through close contact with respiratory secretions.3–5 The epidemic potential of the virus was demonstrated during the 2018–19 Epuyén outbreak in Argentina, where four waves of infection from a social gathering resulted in 34 confirmed cases and 11 deaths.
Source: [Correspondence] Single-dose mRNA vaccines against Andes hantavirus