Saskatoon researchers strive to make breakthroughs in hantavirus research

Saskatoon researchers are advancing research on hantavirus after a recent outbreak has brought the rare virus into the spotlight. Carla Shynkaruk reports.

Researchers in Saskatoon are playing a key role in the global effort to better understand hantavirus.

Scientists at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) are advancing hantavirus research that could help stop future outbreaks before they spread to humans.

The rare but potentially deadly virus is back in the spotlight following multiple deaths linked to a Dutch cruise ship outbreak.

“It is of interest to people,” according to VIDO researcher Bryce Warner.

The rare virus spread primarily through contact with infected rodent droppings or contaminated dust particles.

While infections are uncommon, some strains carry fatality rates of up to 40 per cent.

As part of the research, scientists are launching one of only a handful of specialized deer mouse colonies in North America dedicated to studying the virus with mice in their natural patterns.

Researchers say the work could help answer one of the biggest mysteries surrounding hantavirus — how it can live inside deer mice without making them sick.

“That can give us an insight maybe into the immune response and what’s going on during that infection that leads to disease and give us potential targets for therapies and treatments,” Warner told CTV News.

The Saskatchewan-based team is also studying the specific strains of hantavirus circulating in Canada to better understand the potential risk to Prairie residents.

Hantavirus recently drew international attention in connection with three deaths related to an outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship involving Andes hantavirus, a strain originating in South America.

Researchers say the Andes strain differs from the type typically found in Canada because it can spread from person to person.

Warner says Saskatoon scientists are helping support the broader international effort to investigate the outbreak and identify possible treatments.

“We’re hoping that any of the insights that we gain from our cell culture and our animal studies will lead to therapeutic targets that will be applicable for both viruses.”

Researchers say the work at VIDO supports larger efforts to prepare for future emerging infectious diseases by studying how viruses move between animals and humans.

They say the ultimate goal is to stop outbreaks before they start.

Although the research has global implications, it also highlights Saskatchewan’s growing role in infectious disease science and pandemic preparedness.