Research and analysis
HAIRS risk assessment: Andes virus
Qualitative assessment of the risk to the UK human population of Andes virus infection in a UK rodent.
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In May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) received notification regarding a cluster of severe acute respiratory illness, including 2 deaths and 1 critically ill passenger, aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship. Subsequent laboratory testing confirmed Andes virus (ANDV) infection.
This assessment was commissioned to the HAIRS group to address the possibility that an animal could become infected with ANDV through contact in a UK household with an infected human, and that this could then become a vehicle for further human infections.
Updates to this page
Published 18 May 2026