A major pharmaceutical company saw its shares surge after announcing it had been researching hantavirus vaccines . Amid concerns about the recent hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship , Moderna revealed it had been conducting preliminary hantavirus vaccine research, Bloomberg reported last week. The company’s work reportedly started before this month’s outbreak. Moderna was up almost 6 percent when markets opened Monday after the announcement, CNBC reports. “These efforts are early-stage and ongoing and reflect Moderna’s broader responsibility to develop countermeasures against emerging infectious diseases,” the company said in a statement. The Independent has contacted Moderna for comment.…