Prevention

If you were on board or are an identified contact

• Monitor your temperature daily for 42 days from your last exposure (maximum known incubation period for the Andes virus).
• Consult a doctor without delay in case of fever, headache, muscle pain or cough. Always mention your hantavirus exposure.
• Avoid close, prolonged contact with others (household, healthcare) while you have symptoms, until medical advice.
• In an emergency, contact your local emergency number.

For the general public

Hantaviruses are transmitted to humans mainly through contact with wild rodent excreta. The recommendations below concern people in potential contact with rodents (rural areas, outbuildings, attics, basements), not everyday urban life.

Limit contact with wild rodents

• Do not approach or handle wild rodents, alive or dead.
• Avoid areas with visible rodents or their excreta.

Home hygiene

• Seal possible entry holes in the home.
• Store food in airtight containers.
• Regularly clean basements, attics and outbuildings.
• Use traps rather than chemicals when rodents are present.

Cleaning a space contaminated by excreta

• Wear disposable gloves and a mask (FFP2/N95 or equivalent).
• Do not vacuum or sweep dry — this aerosolises potentially infectious particles.
• Spray a diluted bleach solution (1:9), let it sit for 5 minutes, then wipe with disposable absorbent paper.
• Ventilate confined spaces thoroughly before and during cleaning.

Common misconceptions

• Hantavirus does not spread like flu or COVID-19. Person-to-person transmission of the Andes virus is documented but requires close, prolonged contact. The FFP2 masks worn at disembarkation were a precaution, not a sign of broad airborne transmission.
• No transmission via cooked food, drinking water or pets.
• No demonstrated risk on a plane or train shared with an MV Hondius passenger, except direct prolonged contact.