VIASURE Andes Hantavirus Real Time PCR Detection Kit is a RUO real time qPCR test designed for the qualitative detection of RNA from Andes hantavirus (ANDV) in EDTA-whole blood, and derivates (such as serum and plasma).

RNA is extracted from EDTA-whole blood, serum and plasma samples; this extracted target RNA is transcribed to produce complementary DNA (cDNA) and amplified using real-time amplification and is finally detected using primers specific to the S segment of the virus and a fluorescent probe.

Hantaviruses belong to the family Hantaviridae, genus Orthohantavirus, and each virus is usually associated with a specific reservoir rodent species. The following can be distinguished:

• Old World hantaviruses (Hantaan virus, Dobrava-Belgrade virus, Seoul virus and Puumala virus): currently associated with regions in Asia and Europe; these viruses primarily cause haemorrhagic fever
  with renal syndrome (HFRS).
• New World hantaviruses (Andes virus, Sin Nombre virus, Laguna Negra virus, Choclo virus, Black Creek Canal virus and Bayou virus): currently found only in the Americas; these viruses predominantly
  cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), characterised by pulmonary oedema, respiratory failure and high mortality.

Recent cases of hantavirus infection reported in South America and Europe have sparked renewed interest in emerging hantaviruses, particularly Andes orthohantavirus (ANDV), the main causative agent of HCPS in Argentina and Chile.

Unlike other known hantaviruses, ANDV is the only one for which person-to-person transmission has been consistently documented, a unique epidemiological feature that highlights the importance of early detection and molecular surveillance.

The rapid identification of infected individuals is crucial for implementing control measures and contact tracing, making molecular methods an essential tool for early diagnosis, as they enable the specific detection of viral RNA during the acute phase of infection, even before a detectable immune response has developed.