Hantavirus in Nigeria: An Emerging Public Health Threat amidst a Complex Zoonotic Landscape (A Narrative Review)

Background: Hantaviruses (family Hantaviridae) are negative-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses transmitted primarily through contact with infected rodents or their excreta. Globally, they cause two serious clinical syndromes haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS)  responsible for tens of thousands of hospitalizations annually. In sub-Saharan Africa, and in Nigeria specifically, hantavirus infections have remained largely uncharacterized, overshadowed by high-profile haemorrhagic fever outbreaks caused by Lassa virus, Ebola virus, and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus.

Objective: This narrative review synthesizes available evidence (2021–2026) on the ecology, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostic challenges, and public health implications of hantavirus in Nigeria, situated within the broader zoonotic disease landscape of West Africa.

Methods: A structured literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the WHO IRIS database using terms including 'hantavirus,' 'Hantaviridae,' 'Nigeria,' 'West Africa,' 'rodent-borne disease,' 'seroprevalence,' and 'emerging zoonosis.' Publications from January 2021 to March 2026 were prioritized.

Findings: Evidence indicates that diverse hantavirus lineages, including Sangassou virus, circulate among rodent communities across Nigeria and West Africa. Human serological exposure has been detected, though systematic surveillance remains critically absent. The clinical presentation of hantavirus infection overlaps substantially with malaria and Lassa fever, creating diagnostic ambiguity in resource-limited settings. Environmental degradation, agricultural encroachment, and rapid urbanization are accelerating rodent-human contact at spillover interfaces.

Conclusions: Nigeria bears a likely underestimated burden of hantavirus disease. Establishing an integrated, One Health-aligned surveillance framework that encompasses molecular diagnostics, ecological monitoring, and community engagement is urgently warranted to quantify disease burden and prevent epidemic emergence.