France’s health minister: We don’t know if hantavirus has mutated

France’s health minister has said it is still unclear whether a circulating strain of hantavirus has undergone mutation, as health authorities continue to assess confirmed and suspected cases in the country, British media reports.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Stéphanie Rist said: "There are things we don't know."

She added: "We do not yet have the complete sequence of the virus... We cannot be certain that this virus has not yet mutated."

Her remarks come as scientists work to better understand the genetic profile of the virus involved in recent infections and whether any changes could affect transmissibility or severity.

The warning is significant because viral mutations can alter how diseases spread or respond to medical countermeasures. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, emerging variants were found to be more transmissible and, in some cases, required updated vaccines.

The World Health Organisation has said it is aware of 11 confirmed and probable hantavirus cases. It added that nine of these are confirmed to be linked to the Andes strain, a variant associated with rodents in South America.

By Aghakazim Guliyev