Hantaviruses in Southeast Europe: Climate change, rodent reservoirs, and One Health challenges

Hantaviruses are not emerging pathogens in the strict sense, but their public health relevance is being reshaped by climate change, environmental disruption, land-use change, and increasing human mobility. In Southeast Europe, where Dobrava-Belgrade virus and Puumala virus remain endemic, these infections should no longer be viewed only as sporadic rodent-borne diseases of rural or forested environments. Changing ecological conditions can alter reservoir abundance, virus circulation, and human exposure, while fragmented surveillance and variable diagnostic capacity may obscure the true burden of disease. Although human infection is still driven primarily by environmental exposure to infected rodent excreta, rare person-to-person transmission of Andes virus and recent travel-associated clusters illustrate how traditionally localized zoonoses can acquire wider international relevance. This Opinion argues that hantaviruses should be approached as a climate-sensitive One Health challenge, requiring closer integration of human, veterinary, ecological, and meteorological surveillance. Strengthening regional preparedness is essential before environmental change further expands the conditions for transmission.