Former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl has opened up about his harrowing battle with Hantavirus — a near-fatal ordeal that saw his organs expand, his heart rate plummet, and left his career hanging by a thread.
The 58-year-old Austrian is speaking out following the news that three people have died in a 2026 Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship near Cape Verde.
Hasenhüttl's own brush with death didn't happen in a far-flung location, but while performing a mundane household chore — sweeping his terrace.
The former Premier League manager was at the height of success, having just led German side VfR Aalen to promotion in 2012, when his body shut down. What he initially dismissed as exhaustion from a mountain bike ride during a training camp rapidly escalated into agony.
"I went to bed and that's when the pain in my head started," he told the Daily Mirror. "It felt like there was a needle in my head. Then I started to notice severe back pain. It felt like there was a knife in my back."
Doctors later revealed the source of the excruciating back pain: his liver and kidneys were expanding so rapidly due to the virus that they were pressing against his other organs with nowhere to go.
The manager spent two weeks in intensive care, where the physical pain was compounded by the fear of losing his job. "I was out for such a long time and didn't know when I would be back. My heartbeat would wake me up because of how intense it was, I would just feel this thud in my chest," he said.
As his weight fluctuated and his kidneys weakened, Hasenhüttl was warned that there was no immediate cure. "You have to wait until your body creates antibodies and then hope to survive," he explained. "It was just a waiting game. I tried to push away bad thoughts because I felt young, healthy and strong. I thought, 'Why should I die from a virus?'"
The source of the infection was traced back to dust. Hantavirus is typically carried by rodents and transmitted to humans who inhale infected droppings or urine. "I was cleaning the terrace without a mask and I think I inhaled the dust," Hasenhüttl warned. "It takes about two to three weeks until it breaks out and symptoms show."
While the virus is usually rodent-to-human, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently investigating the MV Hondius outbreak amid fears the virus may have spread through "really close contact" between passengers.
Hasenhüttl urges people to be vigilant, especially when cleaning outdoor areas or old sheds. The disease is often confused with simple flu in its early stages, with symptoms including: a fever exceeding 38.3C, chills, muscle aches, severe headaches, nausea, stomach complaints, and a notably dry cough. Without warning, however, breathing difficulties can rapidly develop.
When cleaning outside, Hasenhüttl says he is wary and will make sure he takes precautions so he doesn't inhale any dust.
Hantaviruses are viruses carried by rodents that can trigger varying degrees of illness in humans. Each hantavirus is linked to a different rodent host. People contract the virus by inhaling infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva. This could occur through handling the animal directly, or by touching something contaminated with its bodily fluids. The incubation period typically lasts two to four days, but can range from two days to eight weeks.
