Health Authorities Contact Individual Over Hantavirus Case in The Hague Region

The Municipal Health Service (GGD) has contacted one individual in the Hague region in connection with hantavirus, according to reporting by Voorburgs Dagblad on May 22, 2026.

This action follows a period of heightened monitoring by Dutch health authorities regarding the Andes virus, a specific variant of hantavirus. The Andes virus is known to cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory disease in humans.

Understanding the Andes Virus

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Andes virus is primarily spread through contact with rodents in South America. While most hantaviruses are transmitted via rodent excreta, the Andes virus is the only type of hantavirus known to spread from person to person.

The CDC notes that person-to-person transmission is rare and usually limited to individuals who have had close contact with a sick person. This includes direct physical contact, exposure to the sick person’s body fluids, or spending prolonged periods of time in close or enclosed spaces.

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has emphasized that the likelihood of this virus spreading from person to person is very small, typically occurring only within household settings or similar environments involving prolonged close contact.

Recent Public Health Monitoring in the Netherlands

The current monitoring efforts follow an incident involving passengers on an airplane who had contact with a person infected with the Andes virus. On May 7, 2026, the RIVM reported that three individuals in the Netherlands had developed symptoms and were being tested for the virus.

The GGD monitored these individuals and provided information to other passengers based on their seating proximity and the extent of their contact with the infected person. By May 8, 2026, the RIVM confirmed that all three individuals who showed symptoms had tested negative for the Andes virus.

The RIVM has stated that the risk to the general population in the Netherlands remains very low.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Signs and symptoms of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome due to the Andes virus typically appear between 4 and 42 days after exposure. Early symptoms often resemble the flu and include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches, particularly in the shoulders, back, hips and thighs

The CDC reports that approximately half of all patients with HPS also experience additional symptoms, such as chills, dizziness, headaches, and abdominal problems, including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicates that clinical diagnosis of orthohantavirus infections is typically based on a combination of observed symptoms and a history of possible contact with rodents.

Public health officials generally consider individuals to be infectious only while they are exhibiting symptoms.