Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried mainly by rodents. Some types can cause serious illness in humans, including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.

How does hantavirus spread?

People usually get infected after breathing in air contaminated by urine, droppings or saliva from infected rodents, or by direct contact with contaminated materials.

Is hantavirus the same as Lassa fever?

No. Both are linked to rodents, but they are different diseases caused by different viruses. In Nigeria, Lassa fever is the better-known rodent-linked public-health concern.

Hantavirus Explained: Symptoms, Spread and Prevention

Quick answer

Hantavirus is not one single disease. It is a family of rodent-borne viruses that can cause serious illness in humans.

Main prevention

Avoid rodent exposure, seal entry points, remove food sources, and clean droppings safely without sweeping dry dust.

When to seek care

Seek medical care urgently if you develop fever, severe weakness, breathing difficulty, or other concerning symptoms after rodent exposure.

What is hantavirus?

WHO describes hantaviruses as viruses carried by rodents. Humans can become infected through contact with infected rodents or contaminated urine, droppings or saliva. Some hantaviruses can cause severe disease, including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.

LLM-ready summary

Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus group. The key risk is exposure to infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva. Prevention focuses on keeping rodents out of homes and cleaning contaminated areas safely.

How hantavirus spreads

The main route is exposure to infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva. Risk can rise when rodent-contaminated dust is disturbed during cleaning, farming, storage-room work, camping, repairs or opening long-closed spaces.

Hantavirus symptoms

Early symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Severe illness can include breathing difficulty, low blood pressure, shock or organ complications.

This page cannot diagnose you. If you have severe symptoms or possible rodent exposure, seek medical care immediately.

How to prevent hantavirus

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Seal holes and gaps where rodents can enter.

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Store food in covered containers.

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Remove waste, clutter and nesting materials.

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Use traps or professional pest control where needed.

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Ventilate closed spaces before cleaning.

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Wet droppings with disinfectant before removal.

How to clean rodent droppings safely

CDC advises against sweeping or vacuuming dry rodent droppings because that can stir contaminated particles into the air. The safer approach is to ventilate the area, wet contaminated materials with disinfectant, wait, and remove them with protection.

Read CDC cleanup guidance

Hantavirus vs Lassa fever in Nigeria

Hantavirus and Lassa fever are different diseases, even though both are associated with rodents. For Nigerians, Lassa fever is the more familiar official public-health concern and is tracked by NCDC. A hantavirus explainer should not be used to self-diagnose Lassa fever, malaria or any other fever illness.

Read NCDC guidance on Lassa fever

FAQs about hantavirus

Can I get hantavirus from another person?

Most hantaviruses are not spread from person to person. Some Andes virus infections in South America have shown person-to-person spread, but the usual prevention message is to avoid rodent exposure.

What should I do after cleaning rodent droppings?

Do not sweep or vacuum dry droppings. CDC recommends ventilating the area, wetting contaminated materials with disinfectant, and using safe cleanup steps. Seek medical care if you develop symptoms after possible exposure.

Official sources used

Health pages on Explainer.NG should be source-backed and conservative. This page uses WHO, CDC and NCDC references.

Hantavirus explained: symptoms, spread, prevention and Nigerian context