Episode 30: Behind the Paper: Navigating Hantavirus Risk in Transplantation: Implications for Clinical Practice

In this episode of Behind the Paper, host Macey Levan, Social Media Editor, speaks with Dr. Robert J. Rolfe of Duke University and Dr. Camille N. Kotton of Harvard Medical School, authors of the perspective article “Navigating Hantavirus Risk in Transplantation: Implications for Clinical Practice,” published in Transplantation.

The discussion explores how hantaviruses are transmitted, why Andes virus is unique among hantaviruses, and the diagnostic and clinical challenges these infections may present in immunocompromised transplant recipients.

Topics include:

- Rodent exposure and hantavirus transmission - Person-to-person transmission of Andes virus - Nonspecific or atypical symptoms in transplant recipients - Diagnostic limitations, including potentially unreliable serologic testing - Distinguishing infection from rejection and other conditions - Pre-travel counseling and practical prevention strategies - Collaboration between transplant clinicians and travel medicine specialists

Although hantavirus infections remain rare, the guests emphasize the importance of awareness, careful exposure histories, pre-travel counseling, and early clinical evaluation. Transplant recipients should not necessarily avoid travel, but they should understand destination-specific risks and take appropriate preventive measures.

Resources

CDC Yellow Book: Immunocompromised Travelers https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/travelers-with-additional-considerations/immunocompromised-travelers.html

CDC Travelers’ Health: Destinations https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list