Epidemiological surveillance of Andes virus: have we really learned anything after COVID-19?
e202605027
Keywords:
Hantavirus, Epidemiologic surveillance, Zoonoses, Public Health, One Health, Disease Outbreaks, Communicable diseases, COVID-19Abstract
Recent Andes virus outbreaks have reignited international debate regarding Public Health preparedness for hantaviruses with documented interpersonal transmission capacity. Unlike other orthohantaviruses, Andes virus has demonstrated person-to-person transmission in specific epidemiological settings, including household and nosocomial environments. The recent emergence of cases linked to multinational outbreaks has prompted renewed assessments and recommendations from international public health organizations.
This manuscript presents an epidemiological reflection on current surveillance challenges associated with emerging hantaviruses following the experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also reviews aspects related to zoonotic surveillance, molecular monitoring, early detection, and integrated One Health approaches applied to preparedness against future emerging threats.
Available evidence highlights the need to strengthen multidisciplinary surveillance systems capable of integrating human, environmental, and zoonotic information in order to improve responses to complex epidemiological scenarios associated with emerging hantaviruses.
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