A vaccine against hantavirus is technically possible, but developing it could take several years if all international safety and effectiveness standards are followed. This was highlighted in a statement by epidemiologist Gennady Onishchenko from the Russian Academy of Sciences.
According to him, the main challenge is not the scientific basis itself, but the long and complex development and approval process. This includes preclinical research, three phases of clinical trials and a lengthy registration procedure before a vaccine can be widely used.
Another major complication is that more than 40 different strains of hantavirus exist. Because of this, it is not realistic to create vaccines for all variants at the same time. Instead, scientists would first need to identify the most important strains for public health and determine which populations should be prioritized for immunization.
He also stressed that protection from outbreaks does not depend only on medicine. In his view, about 70% of a country’s readiness to prevent the spread of hantavirus depends on public behavior and how well people follow prevention guidelines. This includes avoiding travel to endemic regions and being cautious in high risk areas. He specifically mentioned Argentina and parts of Southeast Asia as destinations where extra care is advised until a vaccine becomes available.
Hantavirus can spread through the respiratory system during close contact between people and through contaminated food if basic hygiene and storage rules are not followed.
As an example of the risk, he pointed to a recent outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship “MV Hondius,” where a deadly Andean strain of hantavirus was detected in April while the ship was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde.
The World Health Organization has warned that the situation could be further complicated by the virus’s long incubation period, which can last six to eight weeks, and by the close contact between passengers in enclosed spaces, making outbreaks harder to detect early.
