Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Activates 'Viral Shield' to Monitor Andes Hantavirus

Key facts

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has activated the Viral Shield protocol, utilising a network of 165 specialised Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) facilities to monitor the Andes strain of hantavirus.
• The measure follows the identification of two Indian nationals aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, who were evacuated to the Netherlands for quarantine as of 10th May 2026.
• The Andes strain is distinguished by its ability for rare human-to-human transmission and typically spreads via the inhalation of aerosolised droppings from the long-tailed pygmy rice rat.
• The ICMR uses the Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) protocol to detect the genetic signature of the virus before it develops into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).
• The monitoring of the nationals is a precautionary measure under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), involving a 45-day observation window managed by the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.