A 2023 peer-reviewed study is drawing renewed attention after a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship killed three passengers and infected several others, raising new questions about how long the virus can linger in the human body.
The study, “Presence and Persistence of Andes Virus RNA in Human Semen,” published in the journal Viruses, examined a 55-year-old man who had survived a severe Andes hantavirus infection nearly six years prior. Although the virus was undetectable in his blood and urine, Swiss researchers discovered viral RNA still present in his semen. Their findings suggested sexual transmission could remain possible for up to 71 months after initial infection, though they emphasized that further research is needed.
The outbreak that reignited interest in the study occurred aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship. Several Americans who disembarked have either tested positive or are under monitoring in the United States.
Hantavirus is primarily spread through contact with infected rodents — their urine, droppings, or saliva — or by breathing in contaminated dust. The Andes strain, found predominantly in South America, is unique among hantavirus variants as the only known form capable of passing directly between people. It carries a mortality rate estimated at up to 40 percent.
Global health officials say the current outbreak is not expected to escalate into a pandemic. The virus does not spread easily, and human-to-human transmission has only been documented with the Andes strain.
Scientists note that semen persistence is not exclusive to hantavirus. Ebola and Zika have similarly been shown to survive in semen and, in some documented cases, be transmitted sexually — a pattern that underscores the importance of post-recovery monitoring for emerging infectious diseases.
