By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH
The present MV Modius hantavirus ANDV outbreak is a wonderful opportunity to prospectively study viral spread. Dr McCullough went on Stinchfield Tonight to review events with Grant and said that among people who were well at the time they got of the ship on April 24 and May 10, 2026, no person-to-person spread has occurred in the community. This includes dozens of passengers at the April 24 disembarkment before the identification of Hantavirus as the etiologic agent. At this time, people went on plaines and travelled back to to family and friends and normal community life.
So the false narrative that the ANDV strain spreads P2P among free-living persons in the community is becoming apparent. McCullough told Stinchfield that the source of the virus was on the ship, either in continued exposure of rodent excreta, moribund patients, and corpses or both. McCullough counted 22 days at sea with one of the corpses on board, presumably in some form of cold storage. Nevertheless, the WHO and CDC have not acknowledge this fact pattern.
☣️ Transmission Risks of Andes Virus (ANDV)
Andes virus is the only orthohantavirus with putative human-to-human transmission. In the case of a moribund patient or a deceased individual, the primary risk is exposure to infectious body fluids, particularly respiratory secretions and saliva. Research confirms that ANDV replicates within the alveolar epithelium and macrophages, as well as the secretory cells of the submandibular salivary glands.
When a patient is in a terminal state or deceased, viral particles continue to be shed. The mechanism of transmission is likely two-fold:
Respiratory Pathway: Macrophages containing infectious virus particles can be expectorated or released from the lungs, creating a biohazard through aerosolization or direct contact with mucous membranes.
Salivary Pathway: Because the virus actively replicates in salivary glands, saliva acts as a direct vector. Physical contact, post-mortem care, or handling of oral secretions poses a high risk to those lacking proper Personal Protective Equipment.
The persistence of infectious virus in these fluids—verified by cell culture studies on clinical samples—means that the risk of transmission remains present even after death. Extreme rigor in handling remains the only way to prevent nosocomial or secondary environmental exposure.
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Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH
President, McCullough Foundation
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📚 Relevant Literature
Frontiers in Microbiology (2020): “Immunocytochemical and Ultrastructural Evidence Supporting That Andes Hantavirus (ANDV) Is Transmitted Person-to-Person Through the Respiratory and/or Salivary Pathways.”
Martinez-Valdebenito C, Calvo M, Vial C, Mansilla R, Marco C, Palma RE, Vial PA, Valdivieso F, Mertz G, Ferrés M. Person-to-person household and nosocomial transmission of andes hantavirus, Southern Chile, 2011. Emerg Infect Dis. 2014 Oct;20(10):1629-36. doi: 10.3201/eid2010.140353. PMID: 25272189; PMCID: PMC4193174.Emerging Infectious Diseases (2008): “Hantavirus RNA in Saliva from Patients with Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome.”
Ferrés M, Martínez-Valdebenito C, Henriquez C, Marco C, Angulo J, Barrera A, Palma C, Barriga Pinto G, Cuiza A, Ferreira L, Rioseco ML, Calvo M, Fritz R, Bravo S, Bruhn A, Graf J, Llancaqueo A, Rivera G, Cerda C, Tischler N, Valdivieso F, Vial P, Mertz G, Vial C, Le Corre N. Viral shedding and viraemia of Andes virus during acute hantavirus infection: a prospective study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2024 Jul;24(7):775-782. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00142-7. Epub 2024 Apr 3. Erratum in: Lancet Infect Dis. 2024 Jul;24(7):e419. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00299-8. Erratum in: Lancet Infect Dis. 2026 Apr 1:S1473-3099(26)00181-7. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(26)00181-7. PMID: 38582089; PMCID: PMC11193614.
