The German research project “RoBoPub” (grant number 01KI2004A) was carried out from 2017 to 2021 with the aim of improving the understanding of the current geographic distribution of Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) in Germany and of the mechanisms that drive its spread in the reservoir host, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). The project was coordinated by the Friedrich‑Loeffler‑Institut (FLI) in Greifswald, with the Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR) in Berlin, the Julius Kühn‑Institut (JKI) in Münster, the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and the Niedersächsisches Landesgesundheitsamt (NLGA) in Hannover as core partners. Associated partners included the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES), the University of Leipzig, and the Health Center North Rhine‑Westphalia (LZG). The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The scientific work was divided into several subprojects. RoBoPub‑TV1 focused on the spatial and temporal distribution of PUUV in bank voles. A total of 4 987 voles were captured between 2017 and 2021 across Lower Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria, and North Rhine‑Westphalia. The samples were screened by a conventional one‑step RT‑PCR targeting the S‑segment, a newly developed real‑time RT‑PCR, and a serological assay using a homologous PUUV antigen. In the high‑endemic region of Osnabrück (NI4), spring prevalence reached 57 % in 2019 and 82.7 % in 2021, while in the neighboring low‑endemic districts (NI5, NI6, THR5) no PUUV‑positive voles were detected. The data showed a clear seasonal peak in spring of outbreak years, which correlated with mast events and increased vole population densities. In the eastern genetic line of bank voles, PUUV infection was consistently absent, whereas the western line carried the virus. These findings provide the basis for fine‑scale risk maps and targeted public health recommendations.

RoBoPub‑TV2 investigated Seoul ortho hantavirus (SEOV) in a human case and in pet rats. Collaboration with the Hantavirus reference laboratory at the Charité and the FLI led to the detection of SEOV in the patient and in two pet rats. The results were published in two peer‑reviewed articles (Hofmann et al., 2020; Heuser et al., 2023). RoBoPub‑TV3 and TV5 addressed phylogenetic characterization of PUUV strains and tissue distribution in bank voles, while TV8 focused on the integration of surveillance data from the Lower Saxony State Health Office.

Throughout the project, partners held regular virtual meetings to coordinate sampling, data analysis, and dissemination, especially during the COVID‑19 restrictions. The project achieved all planned milestones, produced two scientific publications, and generated a comprehensive dataset that will inform future hantavirus surveillance and risk assessment in Germany. The collaboration among federal institutes, universities, and regional health authorities exemplifies a multidisciplinary approach to zoonotic disease research, aligning with national public health priorities and contributing valuable knowledge for the protection of human health.