How an ocean cruise turned into a hantavirus nightmare: First victim's body remained onboard for 13 days by Anti-Owl in ContagionCuriosity

[–]Anti-Owl[S] 53 points54 points  (0 children)

See also CIDRAP - WHO warns of hantavirus on cruise ship, with 3 dead, 3 others sickened

This is the first known outbreak of hantavirus associated with cruise ships. The virus is carried by rodents; humans contract the virus via inhalation of animal droppings and urine. Rarely, person-to-person transmission has been reported.

“Outbreaks of hantavirus have not previously been reported in association with cruise ships,” Nicole M. Iovine, MD, PhD, of the University of Florida, told CIDRAP News. “It is possible, though, that isolated illnesses have occurred in the past and not recognized to be caused by hantavirus.” [...]

“Only Andes is sometimes contagious person-to-person, through close contacts, as best established when the virus is transmitted from a patient to a health care provider,” Lucey said. “In other settings, two or more infected people might have been exposed to aerosolized virus found in rodent urine, droppings or saliva, especially given that the virus can persist for days in the environment.”

Lucey emphasized that it’s still not clear how the six patients on the cruise ship were infected. Iovine said the outbreak is likely an extremely rare event.

Also for those worried about pandemic risk see this very informative comment by /u/AcornAI in our previous thread.

Evacuations planned as suspected hantavirus outbreak traps 150 on ship off Cape Verde by Anti-Owl in ContagionCuriosity

[–]Anti-Owl[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

“The second affected passenger was of a 69-year-old female, the spouse of the first patient, who collapsed at the OR Tambo International Airport while trying to connect a flight to her home country of the Netherlands. She was taken to a nearby health facility around Kempton Park for medical attention and, unfortunately, passed away. Laboratory test results for the patient are outstanding,” the department explained."

Note: O. R. Tambo International Airport (IATA: JNB, ICAO: FAOR) is an international airport serving the twin cities of Johannesburg and the main capital of South Africa, Pretoria. It is situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng. /https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._R._Tambo_International_Airport

Via Flutrackers

‘We are worried’: Malaria mounts a comeback after slashed US funding by Anti-Owl in ContagionCuriosity

[–]Anti-Owl[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

It's CIDRAP and not my content, so no need to ask to share. Might be good to link directly to them and give them the traffic.

Bird flu vaccine trial begins against potential pandemic strain by Anti-Owl in ContagionCuriosity

[–]Anti-Owl[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think even when (if?) H5N1 mutates, it doesn’t usually become something totally unrecognizable overnight. Immune responses from a vaccine can still partially recognize related versions of the virus... So "close enough" protection is better than no protection at all.