INTRODUCTION

In this episode of Behind the Paper, host Macey Levan, Social Media Editor, speaks with Dr. Robert J. Rolfe of Duke University and Dr. Camille N. Kotton of Harvard Medical School, authors of the perspective article “Navigating Hantavirus Risk in Transplantation: Implications for Clinical Practice,” published in Transplantation.

The discussion explores how hantaviruses are transmitted, why Andes virus is unique among hantaviruses, and the diagnostic and clinical challenges these infections may present in immunocompromised transplant recipients.

Although hantavirus infections remain rare, the guests emphasize the importance of awareness, careful exposure histories, pre-travel counseling, and early clinical evaluation. Transplant recipients should not necessarily avoid travel, but they should understand destination-specific risks and take appropriate preventive measures.

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