Hantavirus may persist in human semen for up to six years and has the potential to be sexually transmitted, according to a peer‑reviewed study of a long‑term patient case. Scientists at Switzerland’s Spiez Laboratory, a government institute specialising in biological threats, tracked a 55‑year‑old man who became infected with hantavirus in South America. Although the virus disappeared from his blood, urine and respiratory tract as he recovered, researchers found detectable viral genetic material in his semen 71 months (five years and 11 months) after infection, according to the 2023 paper . This suggests the virus could potentially be passed on years after somebody was initially infected. Eleven people have been infected and three have died since the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship (AFP/Getty) "Taken together, our results show [the virus] has the potential for sexual transmission," the research team said.…