Hantavirus case numbers

Hantavirus disease has been notifiable in Germany since 2001 (Section 7 of the Infection Protection Act). Numbers fluctuate strongly between years and are closely linked to beech mast years, when bank vole populations boom.

Notifications in Germany (RKI)

Europe (ECDC)

Around 3,000–5,000 hantavirus cases are reported across Europe each year. Finland, Sweden, Russia and Germany account for most of them. Scandinavia is dominated by nephropathia epidemica (Puumala), the Balkans by the more aggressive Dobrava virus.

Worldwide

Globally, an estimated 150,000–200,000 hantavirus hospitalisations occur annually – most of them in China (Hantaan and Seoul viruses). HPS in the Americas remains rare (~200–300 cases/year) but very dangerous.

Sources: RKI SurvStat, ECDC Atlas, CDC, WHO.