Hantavirus Explained. Symptoms, Spread, and When to See a GP in 2026
Last updated. 13 May 2026 Medically reviewed by The Online GP by The Wellness clinical team. GMC-registered
Hantavirus is a group of rodent-borne viruses that cause two main illnesses in humans, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Symptoms usually appear two to four weeks after exposure and begin like flu, fever, severe muscle aches, headache, fatigue and gastrointestinal upset, before progressing in severe cases to breathlessness or kidney problems. There is no specific antiviral treatment, so early recognition and rapid supportive care save lives. The risk to the UK public remains very low, but flu-like symptoms after recent travel to South America, exposure to wild rodents, or contact with pet rats warrant prompt assessment by a GP.
If you have flu-like symptoms after rodent exposure or recent travel, a same-day GMC-registered doctor at The Online GP by The Wellness can assess you within hours. Phone consultations start from £59, video from £150, and in-person at our Marylebone clinic from £220. Enquire on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com.
What is hantavirus
Hantavirus refers to a genus of viruses (Orthohantavirus) within the family Hantaviridae, naturally carried by specific rodent species worldwide. Each strain is generally associated with one rodent reservoir. Examples include Sin Nombre virus in the deer mouse in North America, Andes virus in the long-tailed pygmy rice rat in South America, Puumala virus in the bank vole in Scandinavia and northern Europe, Hantaan virus in the striped field mouse in East Asia, and Seoul virus in the brown rat, which has a worldwide distribution including the UK.
In Europe, just under 1,900 hantavirus cases were recorded in 2023 across all strains, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). In the Americas, eight countries reported 229 cases in 2025. East Asia carries the highest burden, with thousands of cases annually in China and South Korea, although numbers have declined in recent decades. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 864 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome between 1993 and 2022.
In the UK specifically, only Seoul hantavirus has ever been identified, and it does not spread between people. Since 2012, only 11 confirmed human cases of Seoul hantavirus infection have been reported in the UK, nine of which were linked to pet rats or rats bred for reptile feeding.
What are the early symptoms of hantavirus
Early hantavirus symptoms appear one to eight weeks after exposure, with most people becoming unwell two to four weeks afterwards. The initial phase looks and feels like a bad flu. The most common features are fever above 38°C, extreme fatigue, severe muscle aches (especially in the thighs, hips, lower back and shoulders), headache, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
Approximately half of patients also experience headache, dizziness and chills with gastrointestinal upset, according to the American Lung Association. These early symptoms are non-specific and easily mistaken for influenza, COVID-19, viral pneumonia, leptospirosis, dengue or early sepsis. This is precisely why a careful clinical history matters. A GP asking the right questions about rodent exposure, occupation, recent travel and contact with known cases can flag a possible hantavirus infection days before it would otherwise be considered.
Anyone with flu-like symptoms plus a history of rodent exposure, recent rural work, time in a cabin or holiday home with rodent droppings, or travel to South America in the past two months should mention this clearly to a doctor. The differential matters because the second phase can deteriorate within hours.
If you are unsure whether your symptoms warrant urgent assessment, a phone consultation from £59 with a GMC-registered doctor at The Online GP by The Wellness typically takes place within one to two hours of booking. Book a same-day GP consultation on WhatsApp.
What are the late and severe symptoms of hantavirus
Late hantavirus symptoms usually appear four to ten days after the initial flu-like phase and depend on which syndrome develops. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) primarily damages the lungs. Hantavirus haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) primarily damages the kidneys. Both can be life-threatening without prompt supportive care.
In hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the late or cardiopulmonary phase is characterised by a dry cough, progressive shortness of breath, chest tightness, racing or irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, and pulmonary oedema as the lungs fill with fluid. According to the CDC, 38 per cent of people who develop respiratory symptoms from HPS die, and most untreated deaths occur within 24 to 48 hours of cardiopulmonary onset. The Cleveland Clinic reports a case fatality rate of approximately 40 per cent overall. The Andes virus, responsible for the 2026 MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, sits in this category and is the only strain with documented person-to-person transmission, although such spread is rare.
In haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, late symptoms include acute kidney injury, reduced urine output, flushing of the face, redness or inflammation of the eyes, low platelets and sometimes haemorrhagic features (bruising, petechiae, blood in urine). Hantaan and Dobrava virus infections in East Asia and the Balkans can be fatal in 5 to 15 per cent of cases. Seoul virus is moderately severe, and Puumala virus, common in northern Europe, is the mildest form with a fatality rate below 0.1 per cent.
The clinical message is simple. Hantavirus rarely declares itself in the early phase. If you have flu-like symptoms with a relevant exposure history, you should be evaluated promptly rather than waiting to see how things progress.
How is hantavirus spread
Hantavirus is spread primarily through inhalation of aerosolised particles from the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. Infection can also occur through contaminated food, through cuts or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth), and very rarely through a rodent bite. Most strains do not spread between humans.
The exception is Andes virus, the only hantavirus with documented person-to-person transmission. According to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), this transmission is rare and typically requires prolonged close contact with someone visibly unwell, most commonly household members or intimate partners, particularly during the early symptomatic phase. The virus does not spread through everyday social contact such as walking past someone, shared workplaces, public transport or shops.
Higher-risk exposures include cleaning sheds, barns, holiday cabins and unused outbuildings where rodents have nested, working in agriculture or forestry, pest control, mining or military deployment in rodent-infested areas, breeding or housing pet rats, and rural travel in South America. Hantaviruses can survive on surfaces for around 10 days at room temperature and longer at lower temperatures, which is why disturbing dust contaminated with rodent excreta is the most common route of transmission.
Crucially, hantavirus is not influenza or COVID-19. It is not transmitted by casual respiratory droplets in the community. Public health agencies including UKHSA, ECDC and WHO have all assessed the current risk to the UK and EU populations as very low.
What is the hantavirus incubation period
The hantavirus incubation period ranges from one week to eight weeks after exposure, with most cases becoming symptomatic between two and four weeks. For Andes virus specifically, a peer-reviewed study in Emerging Infectious Diseases reported a median incubation of 18 days, with a range of 7 to 39 days. This is significantly longer than the incubation period for influenza (one to four days) or for SARS-CoV-2 (typically two to five days).
This long and variable incubation has two important implications. First, the exposure event that triggered the illness is often several weeks in the past, which makes the link easy to miss unless a clinician asks specifically about rodents, rural work and travel. Second, public health quarantine periods for high-risk Andes virus contacts are set at 42 or 45 days, the upper end of the incubation range, to ensure that late-onset cases are detected. UK contacts of the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak are being monitored over a 45-day isolation period at Arrowe Park Hospital and afterwards in their own homes.
For patients, the practical takeaway is that flu-like symptoms developing within two months of any high-risk exposure should be mentioned to a doctor. Tell your GP about any rodent contact, rural travel, cabin stays or recent international travel, even if the exposure feels long ago.
How is hantavirus diagnosed
Hantavirus is diagnosed through a combination of clinical assessment and laboratory testing. The clinical assessment is the gateway. Hantavirus is not on most GPs' immediate differential for flu-like symptoms, so the patient's exposure history is what triggers testing. Laboratory confirmation relies on serology to detect hantavirus-specific IgM antibodies or rising IgG titres, and on molecular methods (RT-PCR) during the acute phase when viral RNA can still be detected in blood.
The CDC notes that diagnosing hantavirus within the first 72 hours of symptoms is challenging because antibody levels may not yet be detectable. Repeat testing is often required 72 hours after symptom onset. In hospitalised patients with suspected hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, additional investigations include full blood count (typically showing thrombocytopenia and an unusual peripheral blood smear with immunoblasts), renal and liver function tests, lactate dehydrogenase, arterial blood gas, chest X-ray and chest CT.
In the UK, hantavirus testing is co-ordinated through UKHSA's specialist laboratories. A private GP cannot diagnose hantavirus directly in the consulting room, but they can perform a structured risk assessment, examine you, organise initial blood tests including full blood count and renal function, refer urgently to hospital where required, and notify the local UKHSA health protection team. This is exactly the role a same-day GP service plays. Same-day triage, fast bloods, decisive referral.
At The Online GP by The Wellness, in-person appointments at our Marylebone clinic from £220 include physical examination, immediate venepuncture for blood tests, and a clear onward plan within the same visit. Book an in-person same-day appointment on WhatsApp.
Is there a treatment for hantavirus
There is no specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and no licensed vaccine for use in the UK. Treatment is supportive and focuses on aggressive intensive care, including oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in severe respiratory failure, careful fluid management to avoid worsening pulmonary oedema, inotropic support such as dobutamine for cardiogenic shock, and dialysis in haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
Ribavirin, a guanosine analogue antiviral, has shown some efficacy in haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome but is not effective for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and is not licensed for either treatment or prevention of HPS, according to WHO and the CDC. Survival depends primarily on how quickly the patient receives intensive supportive care during the cardiopulmonary phase. This is why early recognition matters. Patients who present early and are admitted to intensive care before they decompensate have significantly better outcomes than those who delay.
For patients in the UK, the practical implication is that early GP assessment with the right history can shortcut the path to specialist care. Phone, video and in-person consultations all serve this function. The Online GP by The Wellness is integrated with the wider Marylebone clinical infrastructure, including same-day phlebotomy, ultrasound and onward hospital referral, so a suspected hantavirus case identified at our clinic moves immediately into the right pathway.
Should I be worried about hantavirus in the UK
The current risk of hantavirus to the general UK population is very low. UKHSA, ECDC and WHO have all issued this assessment. The Andes virus, responsible for the 2026 MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, is found only in South America and has never been detected in UK rodents. Most hantaviruses do not spread between humans. Even Andes virus, which can occasionally spread between people, requires prolonged close contact with someone who is unwell, typically a household member or intimate partner.
The strain present in the UK is Seoul hantavirus, carried by both wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) and pet rats. Seoul virus does not transmit between people. Cases in the UK are rare, occupationally focused and overwhelmingly linked to pet rat ownership or rat breeding. UKHSA's surveillance studies have found 21.6 per cent of brown rats and 28.8 per cent of house mice seropositive in Northern Ireland, with 50 per cent of brown rats positive for Seoul virus in Yorkshire, and 33 to 100 per cent in some pet breeding colonies in Wales and Southern England.
In other words, ordinary urban exposure to wild rats and mice carries a low but non-zero risk, and the higher-risk groups in the UK are pet rat owners, rat breeders, those who keep rats for reptile feed, pest controllers and farmworkers. Routine social activity, public transport and everyday workplaces carry essentially no risk.
The current global outbreak does not change this baseline. What does change is the situation for travellers returning from South America or anyone in close household contact with a confirmed case from the MV Hondius cruise. Those individuals should follow public health guidance, complete the relevant isolation period, and seek prompt assessment for any flu-like symptoms.
How can I prevent hantavirus
The most effective prevention is rodent control. The CDC's guidance, which UKHSA echoes, emphasises four practical priorities. Seal holes and gaps in homes, garages, sheds and outbuildings so rodents cannot enter. Remove food sources such as exposed grain, pet food and uncovered bins that attract rodents. Use traps in and around homes to reduce infestation. Clean up rodent droppings, urine and dead rodents safely without dry sweeping or vacuuming, which aerosolises the virus.
Safe clean-up means ventilating the area first by opening doors and windows for at least 30 minutes, wearing disposable gloves and ideally an FFP3 or N95 respirator mask, spraying surfaces with disinfectant or a 1 in 10 bleach solution rather than sweeping or vacuuming, wiping with damp disposable cloths, and double-bagging waste before disposal. Hands should be washed thoroughly afterwards. The same principles apply to cleaning pet rat cages, mouse traps and infested holiday homes.
For pet rat owners specifically, UKHSA recommends housing pet rats away from main living areas, washing hands after handling, avoiding eating or drinking near cages, and considering testing breeding stock for Seoul virus. People with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and children under five are advised against keeping pet rats according to CDC guidance.
For travellers, avoid sleeping in rodent-infested cabins, do not enter long-disused buildings without proper ventilation and protective equipment, and seek medical assessment promptly if flu-like symptoms develop within eight weeks of travel.
When should I see a GP about possible hantavirus
You should see a GP urgently if you have flu-like symptoms (fever, severe muscle aches, headache, fatigue, gastrointestinal upset) plus any of the following. Recent close contact with a confirmed hantavirus case. Recent travel to South America, especially rural Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil or Patagonia. Recent exposure to wild rodents in a holiday home, shed, barn or unused outbuilding. Cleaning a heavily rodent-infested space without protective equipment. Pet rat ownership, breeding, or work with laboratory or feed rats.
You should seek emergency care, calling 999 or attending A&E, if you develop shortness of breath, chest tightness, severe breathlessness on minimal exertion, a fast or irregular heartbeat, confusion or fainting, reduced urine output, or significant bleeding such as nosebleeds or blood in urine. These can signal the cardiopulmonary or renal phase, which can deteriorate within hours.
For everything in between, same-day primary care is the right setting. A GP can take a structured history, examine you, organise initial blood tests, arrange chest imaging if needed, refer to hospital, and notify the local UKHSA health protection team. The Online GP by The Wellness provides same-day GMC-registered doctor appointments at our Marylebone clinic, with phone consultations from £59, video from £150, and in-person from £220. All consultations include prescriptions where appropriate, referral letters, and follow-up advice via secure messaging.
Enquire on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com or call 020 3951 3429.
Why patients choose The Online GP by The Wellness for symptom assessment
The Online GP by The Wellness is the in-house private GP service of The Wellness, a CQC-registered Marylebone clinic adjacent to Harley Street. Every doctor is GMC-registered and UK-trained. Same-day appointments are routinely available, including evenings and weekends. Multilingual care is offered in English, Arabic, Spanish, French and Dutch, which is particularly relevant for international visitors and returning travellers.
For potentially serious presentations such as suspected hantavirus, the clinic offers four practical advantages over volume telehealth providers. First, integrated blood testing is performed in the same building, with ferritin, full blood count, renal and liver profile, inflammatory markers (CRP), and many other panels available with same-day phlebotomy. Second, doctor-led ultrasound from £195 is available on site for chest and abdominal imaging where indicated. Third, the clinic is part of a broader network with direct routes to consultant physicians at neighbouring Harley Street practices, allowing rapid escalation when needed. Fourth, prescriptions, sick notes and referral letters are included in the consultation fee with no hidden add-ons.
For straightforward triage of flu-like symptoms with a possible exposure history, a phone or video consultation is the most efficient option. For anyone needing examination, bloods or imaging, an in-person same-day appointment is the right pathway. Either route delivers a clear plan within the same day.
Frequently asked questions about hantavirus
How serious is hantavirus. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has a case fatality rate of approximately 38 to 40 per cent according to the CDC and Cleveland Clinic. Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome has variable severity depending on the strain, from less than 0.1 per cent for Puumala virus in Europe to 15 per cent for Hantaan virus in East Asia. Early recognition and intensive supportive care significantly improve survival.
Can I catch hantavirus from another person. Most hantaviruses do not spread between humans. The exception is Andes virus, which can spread person-to-person, but only with prolonged close contact such as household members or intimate partners. The strain present in the UK (Seoul hantavirus) does not spread between people.
Is there a vaccine for hantavirus. There is no licensed hantavirus vaccine in the UK. A vaccine against Hantaan virus is used in parts of South Korea but is not available in Europe. Prevention relies on rodent control and avoiding aerosolised rodent waste.
How long after exposure to hantavirus do symptoms appear. Symptoms typically appear two to four weeks after exposure, with a possible range of one to eight weeks. For Andes virus, the median incubation period is 18 days.
What blood tests are used to diagnose hantavirus. Hantavirus is diagnosed by detecting hantavirus-specific IgM antibodies (acute infection) and rising IgG titres on serology, or by RT-PCR detection of viral RNA in blood during the acute phase. Initial supportive blood tests include full blood count (often showing low platelets), renal function, liver function, lactate dehydrogenase and CRP.
Can a private GP test for hantavirus. A private GP cannot perform definitive hantavirus diagnostic testing in the consulting room. Specialist serology and PCR testing is co-ordinated through UKHSA reference laboratories in the UK. A private GP plays a critical role in clinical assessment, organising initial supportive blood tests, examining you, arranging chest imaging if required, referring urgently to hospital, and notifying UKHSA.
How much does a private GP appointment cost in London. At The Online GP by The Wellness, phone consultations start from £59, video consultations from £150, and in-person consultations at the Marylebone clinic from £220. Prescriptions, referral letters, fit notes and follow-up advice are included in the consultation fee. Ultrasound scans are available from £195.
Medical disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace personalised medical advice. If you have severe breathlessness, chest pain, confusion, fainting or any other emergency symptoms, call 999 or attend your nearest A&E. For non-emergency symptom assessment, contact your GP or The Online GP by The Wellness on WhatsApp.
References
UK Health Security Agency. What is hantavirus? How is it transmitted and what are the symptoms? Published 5 May 2026. Updated 13 May 2026.
UK Health Security Agency. What you need to know about the hantavirus outbreak linked to the Dutch cruise ship. Published 12 May 2026.
World Health Organization. Hantavirus disease outbreak news. 4 May 2026.
World Health Organization. Hantavirus fact sheet. May 2026.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Questions and answers on the hantavirus outbreak in a cruise ship. May 2026.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About hantavirus and Clinical overview of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Updated May 2026.
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Rapid reaction. Should I be worried about hantavirus? 9 May 2026.
Vial PA, et al. Incubation period of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2006.
American Lung Association. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome symptoms and diagnosis.
NCBI StatPearls. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. 2024.
