Moderna gains 9% as U.S. citizen tests positive for hantavirus

Shares of Moderna (MRNA) are up nearly 9% in premarket trading as the company evaluates potential treatments targeting hantavirus. According to reports, a U.S. citizen has tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus. One passenger aboard a repatriation flight had returned a mild positive test for hantavirus, while another passenger was experiencing mild symptoms consistent with the infection, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said. Moderna said last week that it is evaluating potential treatments targeting hantavirus, calling the program “early-stage and ongoing” within its broader development efforts in infectious diseases. There are currently no approved vaccines or specific antiviral treatments available for hantavirus infections.