The deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius has reignited global interest in vaccines against one of the world's most feared rodent-borne diseases, with Moderna emerging as a key player in an experimental new mRNA-based shot.
The outbreak, tied to the Andes virus strain, the only hantavirus known to spread between humans, has left multiple passengers dead and several others infected after the MV Hondius sailed from Argentina toward Cabo Verde.
Health officials continue to perform contact tracing and monitor survivors as concern spreads over the rare but highly lethal virus. Now, attention is shifting toward whether years of hantavirus vaccine research may be fast-tracked into a pharmaceutical breakthrough – an effective hantavirus vaccine.
Scientists have long cautioned that hantaviruses, especially the Andes strain that is endemic in Argentina and Chile, pose a major pandemic threat due to its human-to-human transmission and high mortality rates. Yet there is no globally approved vaccine for widespread civilian use.
Hantavirus mortality rates vary significantly by type, ranging from less than 1% to as high as 50%. Andes hantavirus (ANDV) is a highly severe strain, with a case fatality rate frequently estimated between 30% and 50%.
The Andes strain of hantavirus causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a rapid-onset respiratory failure. Research published through the US National Institutes of Health has shown hantaviruses can cause rapid respiratory collapse and kidney failure.
In 2023,Moderna partnered with the Vaccine Innovation Centerat Korea University College of Medicine to develop an experimental mRNA-based hantavirus vaccine under the company's 'mRNA Access' program.
The collaboration became public in 2024 and focuses on creating broader protection against multiple hantavirus strains rather than targeting only one variant.
Researchers involved in the project say current vaccines used in parts of Asia offer incomplete coverage and are largely designed for older hantavirus strains associated with hemorrhagic fever and kidney disease.
The latest effort aims to use mRNA technology similar to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine platform, allowing scientists to rapidly redesign shots against emerging and more dangerous strains.
Source: International Business Times UK
