90-Second Read: Hantavirus: Experts Weigh In On Dangers & The Vaccine Response

Efforts to Develop a Vaccine and Treatments Hantavirus is not a new pathogen, and several research groups had already been working on vaccines against it before the cruise ship outbreak. Hantavirus is one of at least 12 viruses with pandemic potential for which we are developing vaccines in partnership with government agencies and academic institutions. Moderna, one of the two main developers of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, had also already entered the Hantavirus vaccine race before the cruise ship outbreak.

Initial symptoms resemble the flu, including high fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and headaches, but in severe cases they can rapidly progress to a respiratory syndrome. An RNA Vaccine Against the Andes Strain Jesse Erasmus, director of virology at the American company HDT Bio, told Vima-Science that his team is collaborating with the University of Texas at Austin to develop an RNA vaccine targeting the Andes strain. The vaccine incorporates Ensilication technology, developed by the group since 2010 and now commercialized through the university spin-off EnsiliTech.

The technology allows the vaccine to be transported and stored in standard refrigerators rather than requiring ultra-cold storage at minus 80 degrees Celsius, by coating the vaccine with protective layers of silicon, a natural inorganic material. By vaccinating genetically modified cattle that produce human antibodies, the researchers developed an antibody treatment called SAB-163, which has been shown to protect animal models against the Andes strain and three other types of Hantavirus. A rodent-borne virus has put global health authorities on alert.