A British lab is in a race to develop a vaccine for hantavirus, linked to the deaths of three cruise ship passengers. Scientists at the University of Bath have made progress in targeting Hantaan disease, a type of hantavirus spread by rodents like mice and rats through their waste.
The World Health Organization and the UK Health Security Agency state that person-to-person transmission of hantavirus is rare, keeping the overall risk to the public low. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment available for hantavirus infections. Treatment focuses on supportive care and symptom management, including hospitalization and respiratory support.
Ensilitech, a startup from the University of Bath, aims to revolutionize vaccine distribution with a new technique called ensilication, eliminating the need for cold storage. Their mRNA platform shows potential to change vaccine distribution globally. Professor Asel Sartbaeva, a researcher at the University and co-founder of Ensilitech, highlighted the importance of developing a vaccine against hantaviruses, which pose a threat in various regions worldwide.
Hantaviruses are prevalent in Europe, Africa, and Asia, causing a range of symptoms from mild flu-like illness to severe respiratory conditions. Following an outbreak of the Andes hantavirus strain on the MV Hondius cruise ship departing Argentina, the World Health Organization confirmed several cases among passengers. While not a pandemic, the source of the outbreak remains unknown, and further investigations are ongoing.
The WHO reported eight hantavirus cases among individuals on the ship, with three confirmed and five suspected cases identified. The development of a new vaccine against hantaviruses is a significant step towards addressing the threat posed by these viruses globally.