Short answer
Andes virus can spread through close contact with a person who is sick, including direct physical contact, prolonged time in close or enclosed spaces, or exposure to body fluids. Official sources describe this as limited human-to-human transmission, not broad casual public spread.
Contacts and quarantine
WHO recommends active monitoring and home or facility quarantine of high-risk contacts for 42 days after last exposure, while low-risk contacts should self-monitor and seek evaluation if symptoms occur.
Frequently asked questions
Does Andes virus spread before symptoms?
WHO says pre-symptomatic transmission cannot be entirely ruled out and recommends precautionary monitoring for high-risk contacts.
Is casual public spread expected?
Current official risk assessments do not describe broad casual public spread.
Primary sources reviewed
CDC, WHO, and ECDC official public-health pages were reviewed for this build. Current outbreak counts use official outbreak updates; evergreen pages use official background and guidance pages.