90-Second Read: How our immune cells combat Andes Hantavirus

LJI scientists recently shared a new analysis of how the immune system's B cells respond to Andes Hantavirus. These B cells can then churn out antibodies to neutralize Andes Hantavirus. According to health officials, the Andes Hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius appears to have originated with an elderly couple who boarded the ship after touring areas of South America, including Argentina. Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are developing tools to fight Hantaviruses, including the Andes strain of Hantavirus, which recently caused an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius.

By tracking these cases, and performing molecular analyses, researchers discovered that Andes Hantavirus could spread from person to person. Andes Hantavirus is still the only Hantavirus we know of that is capable of person-to-person transmission, and the virus continues to cause periodic outbreaks in Argentina. They say this same T cell research approach can also help us combat Andes Hantavirus, and any Hantavirus that might cross over from rodents to humans. Different species of Hantavirus circulate in different parts of the world.

The scientists show that Hantaviruses can spur a strong response from virus-fighting B cells. Hantaviruses are a family of zoonotic pathogens, which means they can spread between humans and animals. Andes Hantavirus isn't as contagious as other viruses, such as measles, but it does have the advantage of stealth. Like Andes Hantavirus, Lassa virus can also spread from person to person.

Hantaviruses are split into two groups: the "Old World" Hantaviruses in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and the "New World" Hantaviruses in North and South America. To succeed, LJI researchers need to investigate immune responses to Hantaviruses and many other zoonotic pathogens. It's estimated that Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has a 50 percent mortality rate, according to the World Health Organization.