Version of hantavirus behind deadly outbreak matches known strain, France says The recent outbreak of hantavirus cases on a French cruise ship has sparked fears of a new, more virulent strain spreading rapidly among travelers.
However, according to the Pasteur Institute in France, the virus responsible for the outbreak is actually one that scientists have been monitoring for years in South America.
The Andes virus, which is typically transmitted through contact with contaminated rodent waste or saliva, has been linked to human to human transmission in several cases.