Disease experts join study of Andes hantavirus

Roslin experts are contributing to a UK collaboration to study the zoonotic infection Andes hantavirus, following an outbreak of disease on the cruise ship MV Hondius.

The team will seek to aid understanding of the virus, which is associated with hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe and potentially fatal illness.

Unlike many other hantaviruses, Andes virus has been associated with person‑to‑person transmission, highlighting the importance of rapid investigation.

Researchers aim to characterise clinical features and disease progression, and identify risk factors for severe outcomes. They will also seek to understand transmission dynamics, including evidence for human‑to‑human spread, and support the development of clinical management strategies and public health responses.

The initiative is a partnership between the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford, the University of Liverpool, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). 

The study uses a globally recognised research framework, known as the Clinical Characterisation Protocol, designed to enable rapid, standardised data and sample collection during emerging infectious disease outbreaks. It was developed by the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC), a global federation of clinical research networks, and has been applied in similar scenarios.

Individuals who were repatriated to the UK after potential exposure to Andes hantavirus have consented to provide clinical data and samples, such as blood.

Research teams will characterise patient samples to track evolution and transmission in the event of positive cases in the UK, define the extent of infection through blood profiling, and investigate cross-reactive immune responses across hantavirus species.

The ISARIC team is working closely with colleagues in other countries and with the World Health Organization to coordinate and harmonise global activities.

By using standardised tools and protocols, data generated from this study will be rapidly combined with other datasets to accelerate understanding of the disease and inform patient care.