Venue & Location

The 2026 meeting of the International Society for Hantaviruses will take place in Puerto Varas, located in the scenic Lake District in Southern Chile widely regarded as a gateway to Patagonia. The city sits at the foot of the iconic Osorno Volcano in southern Chile, providing a spectacular natural setting for scientific exchange and collaboration. The conference will bring together scientists and health professionals from around the world to share and discuss the latest advances across a broad range of topics, including viral epidemiology, ecology, virus–host interactions, pathogenesis, clinical aspects of disease, and the development of vaccines and therapeutics.

Scientific Program & Keynote Speakers

ICH2026 will provide an excellent platform for students, postdoctoral researchers, and established scientists to present their latest findings and engage with the international hantavirus research community. In addition, the organizing committee has invited leading experts in the field to deliver keynote lectures highlighting cutting-edge developments in hantavirus research.

Specialized Workshop: Andes Virus

In addition to the traditional ICH scientific program, the conference will feature on November 5 a one-day workshop dedicated to Andes virus, a pathogen of particular regional importance. This workshop will provide an opportunity for researchers, clinicians, and public health professionals to discuss the local epidemiology, clinical management, and public health response to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Local authorities and decision-makers will also be invited to participate, fostering dialogue between the scientific community and public health stakeholders.

Keynote Speakers

Jay Hooper

United States Army Medical Research of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), USA

Marcela Ferrés

Pontificia Universidad Católica (PUC), Chile

Organizing Committee

Scientific Committee

Nicole Tischler

President ISH

Fundación Ciencia & Vida

Universidad San Sebastián

Chile

Piet Maes

President Elect ISH

KU Leuven

Belgium

Colleen B. Jonsson

Secretary ISH

University of Tennessee

Health Science Center

USA

Jin Won Song

Past-President ISH

Korea University College of Medicine

Korea

Satoru Arai

National Institute of Infectious Diseases,

Japan Institute for Health Security

Japan

Steven Bradfute

Center for Global Health

University of New Mexico

USA

Roger Hewson

UK Health Security Agency

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Boris Klempa

Biomedical Research Center

Slovak Academy of Sciences

Slovakia

Jonas Klingström

Linköping University

Sweden

Valeria Martínez

Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas-INEI, Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud-ANLIS “Dr. C. G. Malbrán"

Argentina

Gustavo Palacios

Icahn School of Medicine at

Mount Sinai

USA