Country profile
Hantavirus in Belgium
No active risk signals detected for Belgium in the current 30-day window.
Hantavirus signals for Belgium are aggregated from WHO Disease Outbreak News, ProMED-mail, PAHO bulletins, and global news (GDELT & Google News). The risk index combines news mention density, verified outbreak reports, source authority, and recency. Hantaviruses are considered endemic in this country.
Confirmed cases · HFRS
2023Annual range
50–300/year
Cumulative
—
not centrally reported
Case-fatality rate
0.3%
Syndrome
HFRS
hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome
Recent news from Belgium
No recent country-tagged news. See the global feed for context.
FAQ
Hantavirus in Belgium: questions answered
How many hantavirus cases per year are reported in Belgium?
Belgium reports approximately 50–300/year confirmed hantavirus cases, based on Sciensano Belgium surveillance through 2023. The reported case-fatality rate is approximately 0.3%. The dominant strain is Puumala virus causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). See Sciensano Belgium for the authoritative current figure.
Is hantavirus present in Belgium?
Yes — Belgium is a known reporting region for hantavirus. The principal strain associated with human cases is Puumala virus, primarily carried by bank vole. Local transmission produces hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Belgium currently shows a low Hantavirus Tracker risk index, meaning no notable signals have been detected from monitored sources in the recent window.
What is the current hantavirus risk in Belgium?
No active risk signals are being detected for Belgium in the current window. This means the Hantavirus Tracker has not seen meaningful news, outbreak reports, or surveillance updates for the country in the last 30 days.
How does hantavirus spread in Belgium?
Most human infections in Belgium occur when people inhale aerosolized particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva, typically while cleaning enclosed spaces such as cabins, sheds, barns, or rural homes that have had rodent activity. Less commonly, infection follows a rodent bite or eating food contaminated by rodents. Person-to-person spread is generally not documented for hantaviruses globally, with the notable exception of Andes virus in southern South America, which has produced confirmed person-to-person clusters in Argentina and Chile.
What are the symptoms of hantavirus and when should someone in Belgium seek care?
Early symptoms appear roughly one to eight weeks after exposure and include fever, severe muscle aches (especially in the thighs, hips, lower back), headache, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. After several days, HFRS patients develop low blood pressure, hemorrhage, and acute kidney injury that may require dialysis. Anyone with flu-like symptoms and recent rodent exposure (within the last six weeks) should contact a healthcare provider immediately and explicitly mention the rodent contact history.
How is hantavirus prevented in Belgium?
Prevention focuses on reducing contact with rodents and their droppings: seal openings ¼ inch and larger in homes and outbuildings, store food in rodent-proof containers, remove brush and woodpiles near dwellings, and clean rodent-contaminated areas safely. Never sweep or vacuum dry droppings — that aerosolizes the virus. Instead, ventilate the space, wear gloves and an N95 respirator, spray surfaces with a 1:10 bleach-water solution, let it soak five minutes, then wipe with paper towels and double-bag the waste. People working in rural agriculture, hantavirus-endemic forests, or cleaning long-unused cabins in Belgium are at the highest occupational risk.
Belgium hantavirus — year in surveillance
Notable years and current surveillance snapshots for Belgium.
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Prevention
- Seal openings ¼ inch and larger in homes and outbuildings.
- Trap rodents and remove sources of food and shelter.
- When cleaning rodent-contaminated areas, wet down with a 1:10 bleach-water solution before wiping; never sweep or vacuum dry droppings.
- Wear gloves and an N95 respirator when cleaning enclosed rodent-affected spaces.
See the full prevention guide →
Other countries to watch
Reference
Read more: What is hantavirus · Symptoms · Transmission · Historical outbreaks