Pandemic Watch
Hantavirus in Canada CA
Canadian hantavirus cases are concentrated in the western provinces — Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia — where deer mouse populations and rural land use combine. Sin Nombre virus is the responsible agent, and cumulative reported cases since the early 1990s number in the low hundreds.
Circulating strains
Hantavirus strains documented in Canada. HPS = Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (Americas, predominantly fatal lung involvement). HFRS = Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (Eurasia, kidney involvement).
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- Rodent reservoir
- Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
- Case-fatality rate
- 36-38%
- Person-to-person spread
- Not documented
Dominant HPS strain in North America. Cases peak in spring and summer following wet winters that boost the deer mouse population.
Past outbreaks involving Canada
- 1997 - Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in the Americas 2021-06-08 archived
See the complete hantavirus outbreak history for Canada — year-grouped, with case counts and per-bulletin briefings.
