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We can help the body fight entire viral families

Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology have discovered that combining key vaccine ingredients could give the body the tools it needs to fight the entire family of arenaviruses with a single vaccine. This approach may protect against life-threatening infections from Lassa virus, Junin virus, and many other arenaviruses.

SourceLa Jolla Institute for Immunology·JournalCell Reports Medicine·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 20, 2026

Experts call on WHO to revisit its approach to airborne risk in light of hantavirus outbreak

Experts are calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to adopt a more precautionary approach in responding to emerging respiratory viruses. The recent hantavirus outbreak, which has resulted in three deaths and several cases, highlights the need for improved ventilation, respirator use, and portable HEPA filtration.

SourceUniversity of Maryland·JournalBMJ·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateMay 13, 2026

Finnish Vole fever spreading further south

A new study has discovered that bank voles in southern Sweden carry a virus that can cause hemorrhagic fever in humans, spreading the disease further south than previously known. The virus strain is closely related to strains from Finland and Karelia.

SourceUppsala University·JournalEmerging Infectious Diseases·TypeObservational study·DateMay 28, 2024

Outbreak investigation reveals "super-spreader" potential of Andes virus

A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the Andes virus, carried by wild rodents, can cause severe respiratory disease in humans through extensive person-to-person contact. The outbreak in a small village in Argentina had the most extensive recorded human-to-human transmission of the virus to date.

SourceUS Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateDec 3, 2020

Antibodies from human survivors of Andes hantavirus protect rodents against infection

Researchers isolated antibodies from human survivors of Andes hantavirus infection that protected hamsters against the deadly disease. The antibodies shielded animals even after administration, suggesting they could be used as a preventative treatment for hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateNov 21, 2018

Human antibodies produced in DNA-vaccinated cows protect in lethal models of hantavirus

Scientists have developed protective human antibodies using DNA-vaccinated cows, which showed potent neutralizing activity against two types of hantaviruses. The antibodies protected hamsters from lethal disease caused by these viruses, with seven out of eight treated animals surviving without symptoms.

SourceUS Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateNov 26, 2014

NIH scientists establish monkey model of hantavirus disease

Researchers at NIH's NIAID have developed a monkey model of human hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, allowing them to study the disease's progression and potential treatments. The study found that the virus triggers a life-threatening immune response nearly two weeks after infection, providing a potential target for early diagnosis.

SourceNIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 28, 2014

Monitoring killer mice from space

A University of Utah study used satellite imagery to monitor vegetation surges that boost deer mouse populations, predicting hantavirus outbreaks months in advance. The method has potential applications for forecasting rodent-borne illnesses worldwide.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalGlobal Ecology and Biogeography·DateFeb 14, 2011

Big, old mice spread hantavirus

A recent study by University of Utah researchers identified bigger, older mice as the culprits behind hantavirus transmission. The study used fluorescent powders and radio transmitters to track contacts between mice, revealing that larger-bodied individuals were responsible for maintaining the disease in deer mouse populations.

Hantavirus found in African wood mouse

A team of scientists has discovered a new hantavirus in an African wood mouse, which is related to viruses causing severe disease in humans in Central and Eastern Europe. The virus was found to have similarities with other hantaviruses, including the Dobrava virus, and can infect humans, according to preliminary evidence.

SourceHoward Hughes Medical Institute·JournalEmerging Infectious Diseases·DateApr 18, 2006

Experimental hantavirus vaccine elicits strong antibody response in primates

Researchers at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases have developed a hantavirus vaccine that elicited a potent neutralizing antibody response in rhesus macaques. The vaccine, which uses a naked DNA approach, also provided protection against hamster infection when administered after exposure.