Following the recent Andes virus (ANDV) outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, a globally coordinated outbreak research initiative involving investigators and institutions across 21 countries has begun implementation,  demonstrating how international research preparedness systems can be rapidly activated during health emergencies.

The initiative, known as NAVIS, is a natural history study designed to improve understanding of ANDV transmission dynamics, incubation periods, immune responses, viral kinetics, and determinants of severe disease through harmonized longitudinal follow-up of exposed individuals.

The study will use a harmonized prospective protocol, which was developed by Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain, for immediate deployment after an emergency scientific consultation coordinated through the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)-led Hantavirus Collaborative Open Research Consortium (CORC) mobilized more than 1600 experts from over 130 countries to identify urgent scientific priorities and coordinate international research activities.