New hantavirus sequencing tool maps whole genomes from hard-to-test samples

Infections by hantaviruses are rare but dangerous, killing 30–40% of infected people. When cases occur, public health officials need rapid, detailed information about the virus to identify the strain and its origin, so they can stop others from being exposed to the disease. Whole genome sequencing is an integral part of this work, though the genomes of these viruses are difficult to sequence using existing approaches.