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Beringia

(5,633 posts) Tue May 12, 2026, 08:00 AM May 12

WHO head tells countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases

Source: The Guardian

The head of the World Health Organization has told countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases after the outbreak onboard the MV Hondius, and thanked Spain for the “compassion and solidarity” it had shown by taking in the stricken cruise ship and evacuating its passengers and crew.

“At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak, but of course the situation could change and, given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks,” he told a press conference in Madrid on Tuesday.

“We would expect more cases because, as you may remember, the index case – the first case in the ship was on 6 April … [and] there was a lot of interaction, actually, with the passengers. And as you know, the incubation period is also six to eight weeks.

“So because of the interaction while they were still in the ship – especially before they started taking some infectious prevention measures – because of the interaction, we would expect more cases because of some of what happened during the travel.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/12/who-head-warns-countries-prepare-more-hantavirus-cases

11 replies

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Highlight:

WHO head tells countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases (Original Post) Beringia May 12 OP

I'm confused angrychair May 12 #1

I take the phrase "More cases" to mean cases among the passengers and crew on the ship Fiendish Thingy May 12 #5

I don't know how hantavirus can spread. I suppose if people's contacts got it, it could spread Beringia May 12 #6

Didn't we see this not too long ago? Something is vaguely familiar about this situation. COL Mustard May 12 #2

Not to worry lonely bird May 12 #3

USA will stock up on ivermectin Mysterian May 12 #4

WHO lost cred RoseTrellis May 12 #7

Compared to the imbeciles in the US government, Mysterian May 12 #8

No they did not. Social media trolls ran rampant with misinformation. Initech May 12 #9

I thought this was settled by now? RoseTrellis May 12 #10

All three of your links are articles about WHO's very own after-action report Mysterian May 13 #11

angrychair

(12,545 posts)

1. I'm confused

Reply to Beringia (Original post)

Tue May 12, 2026, 09:08 AM

May 12

I have had people in certain circles desperately try to say that "this isn't a big deal" that "it's won't spread" or that "it won't be a a pandemic"

Yet

“At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak, but of course the situation could change and, given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks,” he told a press conference in Madrid on Tuesday.

WTF 😳

That is not spoken with the confidence that this is not a big deal or that it couldn't turn into something bigger.

Not what I was expecting. We could not be this unlucky to have this moron in charge for two different pandemics. There is just no way we are this unlucky.

Fiendish Thingy

(24,125 posts)

5. I take the phrase "More cases" to mean cases among the passengers and crew on the ship

Reply to angrychair (Reply #1)

Tue May 12, 2026, 09:50 AM

May 12

There were 150 passengers and crew IIRC, and so far, just a dozen or so confirmed cases.

I’m not aware of any cases of anyone not on the ship (a flight attendant had symptoms, but tested negative).

Hantavirus is nowhere near as contagious as COVID, usually one must be in close contact to pass the virus to someone else.

We shall see, the next couple of weeks should reveal if they were successful in containing the cases to just the passengers and crew.

Beringia

(5,633 posts)

6. I don't know how hantavirus can spread. I suppose if people's contacts got it, it could spread

Reply to angrychair (Reply #1)

Tue May 12, 2026, 11:22 AM

May 12

It could spread out, but how far I am couldn't guess

COL Mustard

(8,395 posts)

2. Didn't we see this not too long ago? Something is vaguely familiar about this situation.

Reply to Beringia (Original post)

Tue May 12, 2026, 09:09 AM

May 12

I just wish I could remember what it is. I guess maybe it's COVID to me soon.

lonely bird

(3,039 posts)

3. Not to worry

Reply to Beringia (Original post)

Tue May 12, 2026, 09:11 AM

May 12

RFK, Jr. will take time out of his busy schedule collecting roadkill to address this. No vaccine will be developed because reasons.

Mysterian

(6,632 posts)

4. USA will stock up on ivermectin

Reply to Beringia (Original post)

Tue May 12, 2026, 09:18 AM

May 12

We'll let them take it this time.

RoseTrellis

(206 posts)

7. WHO lost cred

Reply to Beringia (Original post)

Tue May 12, 2026, 01:11 PM

May 12

The WHO lost a lot of credibility with how covid was handled.

Mysterian

(6,632 posts)

8. Compared to the imbeciles in the US government,

Reply to RoseTrellis (Reply #7)

Tue May 12, 2026, 02:22 PM

May 12

WHO was remarkably effective and efficient. WHO has not lost credibility as you claimed. Furthermore, WHO has examined and acted on areas to improve, while the USA has doubled down on its idiocy.

Initech

(109,274 posts)

9. No they did not. Social media trolls ran rampant with misinformation.

Reply to RoseTrellis (Reply #7)

Tue May 12, 2026, 02:47 PM

May 12

And that's how we got the demented brain worm psycho in charge of public health.

RoseTrellis

(206 posts)

10. I thought this was settled by now?

Reply to Initech (Reply #9)

Tue May 12, 2026, 06:56 PM

May 12

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/18/world/europe/virus-WHO-report-failures.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-57085505

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/12/who-report-pandemic-mistakes/

Mysterian

(6,632 posts)

11. All three of your links are articles about WHO's very own after-action report

Reply to RoseTrellis (Reply #10)

Wed May 13, 2026, 06:46 PM

May 13

None of the links you posted show that WHO has "lost credibility." In fact, when an organization conducts a rigorous after-action review to identify mistakes and implement ways to improve, it doesn't lose credibility, it gains credibility.

You seem to have lost your way.

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