But the US’s withdrawal from the WHO – and cuts to the country’s health system – stymie officials’ response

The US’s withdrawal from the WHO – and cuts to the country’s health system – stymie officials’ response

The outbreak of hantavirus on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius illuminates major gaps in the US public health system – a worrying sign for stopping this outbreak quickly and preparing for a potential pandemic of a more widespread pathogen in coming years, experts say.

Passengers and their close contacts are at risk of hantavirus and need to follow public health guidance, but the danger for most people is near zero, officials and scientists say. Experts expect more cases in this outbreak to be identified, but they are emphatic that a hantavirus pandemic is highly unlikely.

“This is not Covid, this is not influenza. It spreads very, very differently,” Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic management at the World Health Organization (WHO), said at a briefing on Thursday. “This is not the same situation we were in six years ago … It’s very different.”

The WHO has been coordinating a response with several countries. But Trump pulled out of the organization soon after taking office, and US leadership has been conspicuously absent in the global hantavirus response, experts say.

  • Capt. Wolf@lemmy.world
    821·
    2 days ago

    Gotta keep people stupid and scared. That way they can offer a cure for a problem nobody has AND distract them from bigger things.

    For those who don’t know, hantavirus is contracted by coming into contact with rodent urine and feces. It doesn’t get spread among humans. As the WHO said, this is not Covid 2. It’s some people on a boat who came into contact with some rats or mice. CORRECTION: It IS the Andes strain, which is passable by humans. Sorry for the mistake and thanks for pointing it out. That does carry a degree of caution more.

    • Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz
      311·
      2 days ago

      Please correct this misinformation. The strain on the cruise ship is the Andes strain, which spreads via human-to-human transmission. https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON600

      Although uncommon, limited human‑to‑human transmission of HPS due to Andes virus has been reported in community settings involving close and prolonged contact. Secondary infections among healthcare workers have been previously documented in healthcare facilities, though remain rare. Secondary transmission appears most likely during the early phase of illness, when the virus is more transmissible.[4] Currently, little evidence is available due to the scarcity of hantavirus outbreak related to human-to-human transmission.

      • CorrectAlias@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

        Sure, it probably can, but it’s unlikely to cause any sort of epidemic because you need the intimate contact. It’s not like covid where it easily transmits through the air.

      • kikutwo@lemmy.world
        211·
        2 days ago

        What misinformation? The post clarified that it is transmitted by touch not airborne. That’s completely accurate.

        • Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz
          7·
          2 days ago

          My post did, the one I reported/responded to claims its only spread by contact with rodents and not at all by human-to-human transmission.

          • kikutwo@lemmy.world
            1·
            2 days ago

            Yes human to human only close bodily contact not airborne. The downvotes prove nobody knows what is correct.

    • velma@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      5·
      2 days ago

      There is a strain of hantavirus that is passed from human to human, but overall you’re correct. It’s certainly not Covid 2.

    • hitmyspot@aussie.zone
      1·
      2 days ago

      My understandinf is that thats the usual oath of transmission but human to human transmissions is suspected.