SCIENCE NEWS
Showing 12 articles
AP
Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Drives Search for Treatments","description":"A deadly hantavirus outbreak on a worldwide cruise ship has spurred scientists to test new therapies and push vaccine development forward.","summary":"When a rare rodent‑borne virus infected passengers on a popular cruise line, there were no treatments or vaccines. Researchers from Chile, Argentina and the U.S. unveiled promising results using the rheumatoid arthritis drug tocilizumab and continue to develop antibody and vaccine strategies, while experts warn that rare diseases like hantavirus face huge funding and trial challenges.","image":"https://assets.apnews.com/1e/24/b6e8792884e1e642fbe174465f46/adce3b6a211d479abb0f10aadd970f95","text":"<p><strong>When a rare rodent‑borne virus crossed the decks of an international cruise ship, the world stood without an antidote or a shot to stop the spread. The virus, a hantavirus, had no proven vaccines and treatments were inexistence to those who fell ill.</strong></p>\n\n<p>Hantaviruses are long known to the scientific community, yet the ones that cause pneumonia and can, in some strains, pass between people remain unprotected by existing medical tools. Researchers from Chile, Argentina and the United States have quietly been hunting for drugs and vaccines, but the rarity of outbreaks and limited public funding have stalled progress.</p>\n\n<h2>Outbreak Highlights the Gap</h2>\n\n<p>Three of the 13 likely cases aboard the cruise ship died, and separate data from Chile confirm 15 deaths, 42 infections so far this year. Argentina reports 32 deaths and 102 cases since June 2025, while in the United States a high 35% of hantavirus cases since 1993 have been fatal.</p>\n\n<h2>Variant Causes Distinct Symptoms</h2>\n\n<p>Hantaviruses shed in rodent droppings can infect humans via inhalation. The Andes virus, the species linked to the cruise incident, may spread among humans and can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe, often fatal lung infection.</p>\n\n<h2>Findings from Argentina</h2>\n\n<p>In an Argentine study, doctors tested the rheumatoid arthritis drug tocilizumab on five patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Tocilizumab blocks the interleukin‑6 (IL‑6) molecule that drives harmful inflammation seen in the disease. Four of the five patients survived after receiving both the drug and supportive care in a hospital; the remaining five who did not receive the drug (because supplies were limited) all died. Although the treated patients were younger and less severely ill, the results suggest tocilizumab deserves further study.</p>\n\n<h2>Antibody‑Based Approaches</h2>\n\n<p>Other teams have investigated using monoclonal antibodies derived from people who survived hantavirus infections. Researchers from Chile, the U.S. NIH’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories, and Germany’s Robert Koch Institute successfully used such antibodies in animal models. While no human trials have yet been funded, the strategy is actively pursued by groups at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Vanderbilt’s Antibody Therapeutics Center.</p>\n\n<h2>Vaccine Development</h2>\n\n<p>There are vaccines for several Old‑World hantaviruses, but none are licensed for the Andes strain. University scholars have taken steps toward a vaccine, with early human trials showing the ability to generate protective antibodies. The U.S. Army’s Institute of Infectious Diseases is also pushing a candidate that has triggered strong immune responses in initial studies.</p>\n\n<h2>Challenges Ahead</h2>\n\n<p>Dr. Paul Bollyky, infectious disease specialist at Stanford Medical Center, explains that rare diseases like hantavirus face steep hurdles: limited laboratory resources, unpredictable outbreak patterns that impede clinical trials, and an uncertain market that throws away potential commercial incentives. Yet he stresses that sustained investment could unlock lifesaving therapies sooner.</p>\n\n<p>“What happened was a tragedy, but it can happen not only with this but also other diseases,” adds Dr. Fernando Tortosa, lead author of the study from Argentina’s National University of Río Negro. He called the cruise ship outbreak a chance to galvanize global collaboration and fast‑track research.</p>\n\n<p>For now, the world watches as scientists race to move hantavirus science from the lab bench toward practical medicines and vaccines.</p>
Follow us
© 2024 SwissX REDD UK ltd. All Rights Reserved.