Could the Hantavirus become the next pandemic?

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:01]Global cases of the Hanta virus will probably rise. That's the warning from the World Health Organization. The virus has already killed at least three passengers on the MV Hyundus cruise ship at the heart of the outbreak. And with dozens of passengers quarantining, attention now turns to their treatment and preventing the virus from spreading further. So, could the H virus become the next pandemic?

[00:00:40]Hello and welcome to Roundt. I'm Enter Brady. Now the HN virus, a virus that traditionally infects rodents, has now passed to humans. Recent outbreaks upon an international cruise ship have raised global health concerns. The Andes strain is most commonly found in the Americas and has a high fatality rate of about 40%. Early signs include fever, fatigue, and nausea before severe breathing complications can develop.

[00:01:10]Those on board paid up to $17,000 for an exclusive wildlife cruise on the MV Hondas, sailing around the remote islands of the South Atlantic. 88 passengers and 61 crew started their journey in Argentina on the 1st of April. 10 days later, a Dutchman died on board while the ship was on route to St. Helena. Within days, his wife developed symptoms. She died in South Africa on the 26th of April, 2 days after leaving the ship. On its way to Cape Verde on the 2nd of May, a third death was confirmed. The World Health Organization suspected a rare strain of Hanta virus which is usually spread through rodents.

[00:01:58]In this case is the Andis virus which is found in Latin America and is the only speech known to be capable of limited transmission between humans.

[00:02:09]>> The pathogen causes organ failure especially in the lungs and kidneys and has no cure. Cape Verde turned the ship away. The Canary Islands refused it too until the Spanish government stepped in.

[00:02:23]In Tenneref, Spanish emergency teams took over, repatriating all those on board. The vessel is now on its way to the Netherlands for decontamination.

[00:02:33]With an incubation period of up to 8 weeks and passengers now scattered across the globe, the true extent of the outbreak is not yet clear.

[00:02:47]Well, let's meet our guest for this one.

[00:02:48]In Geneva, in Switzerland, we have Margaret Harris. She is former World Health Organization spokesperson and a doctor specializing in global health and risk communication. In Malaga in Spain, we have Zoe Bass, who is a journalist.

[00:03:03]And in Lancaster, in the north of England, we have Muhammad Munir, who is a verologist. You're all very welcome to round table. Margaret to you. First of all, how concerned should we be about this ha virus?

[00:03:17]>> It's a nasty virus and if you get sick with it, you you you could well have a severe illness. But the good thing is it's not an efficient virus. The strain we're seeing at the moment does have the ability to transmit from person to person, but it doesn't transmit particularly efficiently. Um and the good thing here is the notification came really remarkably early and very very good actions have been taken to really contain this thing.

[00:03:45]>> Muhammad we absolutely don't want to scare on round table but all of the speculation and online chatter about this being the next co virus. That's clearly not the case.

[00:03:58]>> No certainly it is not the case. The hunter viruses are biologically by nature. They are very different than other viruses that we have really come across. For example, our living memory with the covid 19. CO 19 is complete contrast to hunter viruses. So hunter viruses are relatively difficult to spread between the people. You need prolonged exposure for this spread to happen. Although the complexity is that it has a very long inflation period.

[00:04:25]meaning people who will be infected now might come to now within next uh 8 weeks or so. But generally speaking for the viruses that are very difficult to spread they are not as big a risk as are the viruses that are very easy to spread. So as it stands now the risk for the henta viruses for general public is next to negligible. The risk is only for those people who been on the cruise ship and being in contact with the people who were positive. So Mouhammad you think it is being well managed and that the risk as you say less than negligible.

[00:05:00]Well, at this moment I must admire for the whole of the range of authorities those been involved from the World Health Organization, from CDC, from the Spanish government and of course the cruise ship that been um very much cooperative in orchestrating this whole operation because we all know that this is an international um uh outbreak of on the vote for the first time for the virus and if it is handled properly basically we will be having a full control of this outbreak. For example, I usually say that this is a critical moment and is a critical juncture of this outbreak. So any risk associated with these contacts if can be minimized through proper quarantine, proper isolation and proper testing certainly we can have a very good handle on this outbreak at this right moment.

[00:05:49]>> Thank you Muhammad. So to you in Spain, talk to me about the political fallout from the decision to accept that cruise ship into a port in the Canary Islands.

[00:05:59]There was quite a spat between Pedro Sanchez's government and the governor on the Canary Islands. They did not see eye to eye on this.

[00:06:08]>> No, they did not. Uh I think we can perhaps understand the governor of the Canary Islands being uh hesitant to welcome a um a cruise ship that is known to to be carrying a virus from which three people have have died. Um however this did escalate because um the governor who is actually a member of the opposition party, the popular party um on the right, he uh he was quite aggressive in his um refusal to initially allow the cruise ship to come to um to dock in Spanish waters. Um, so much so that the Spanish government, the central government of Madrid had to finally uh, basically pass an order that said, "We are going to override your um, your jurisdiction and we are going to go ahead and let this cruise ship come to dock here in accordance with requests from the World World Health Organization from the European Union. I mean, it's fair to say that according to international law, the Canaries was the place of choice. it was deemed to have the necessary medical facility unlike um the Cape Verde Islands where it was initially where where the first case um was was identified. So this was all very much in keeping with international standards and again I this is what Pedro Sanchez is now um sort of taking some credit for >> and Zoe quite a bizarre situation between the governor of the Canaries and the Spanish prime minister. some WhatsApp messages, we learned that there had been a claim made by the governor of the Canaries that the rats that were infected on the cruise ship could swim ashore and he even sent an AI generated picture of rats swimming to the Spanish prime minister. Is that correct?

[00:07:59]>> Yes. It's it's unfortunate because that then spawned a whole bunch of memes. Um some of which I was looking at uh yesterday which are are quite funny sort of Olympic style rats um you know making their way as fast as possible towards the shores of the Canary Islands. So, and it actually got to to the point where the head of the popular party felt he needed to speak out um and sort of in a sense protect the reputation of Fernando Clavikho, the um the governor of the Naries and um asked people to show some respect um because of these this huge number of memes that that that were being generated across social media.

[00:08:44]>> Thanks Zoe. Margaret to you. Were you concerned about the humanto human transmission that appeared to have happened on the cruise ship? I I guess it was inevitable with people in such confined space.

[00:08:55]>> Yes, it's a pretty special sort of situation when you're in a small space, ventilated, internally ventilated space.

[00:09:03]Um, and also remember a lot of the people were in close contact before anybody knew there was anything on the ship. So including the the medical workers, including two of the crew who are now in the Netherlands. So it's actually not that surprising in that and has done this before. There was quite a big cluster in Argentina where um a farm worker who'd been in contact with rodents came to a party, infected six other people, and they eventually had a cluster of over 30 people and they had 11 deaths. and they and and and among that cluster was a healthcare worker who was infected by the people who were sick. So and again there was before they reh had symptoms. So again pattern isn't something we haven't seen before but of course it's being taken very very seriously.

[00:09:55]>> Muhammad to you what is the treatment then when a patient is taken to hospital with this ha virus what happens them how are they looked after?

[00:10:05]Yeah. Well, at the moment there is no any specific treatment. When we say specific treatment is the drugs or the antiviral that specifically target hunter viruses but we do have a supportive therapy. So for example if a person is having respiratory um uh symptoms then uh they can be given a respiratory aid. If there is a blood pressure that is increasing if there is a body aching. So you can treat them according to the signs and symptom of that person before it aggravates. So as to there is no uh treatment and that's also a critical point that where people who are identified uh symptomatic at a very early stages they can be provided that supportive therapy for life saving and overall out of 150 people. Now we know that u luckily or unluckily in in many contexts that has been only three casualities and that is again because the cases were picked up relatively quickly disembark repatriated so even if more people be tested positive I'm sure that each of the respective uh countries and their health bodies are going to provide supportive therapy to really take care of them >> and Muhammad looking at the time frame of the incubation period in the next few days we will know if this virus is spreading any further won't we >> that is true I think basically what happen is that longer the incubation period meaning the longer the chances are that the person would start showing clinical sit during that duration also it pose one challenge that you have to have a longer compliance uh for the selfisolation quarantine and so on but I can almost guarantee I think in the scientific community there is a concern that there will more cases again because of the longer incubation period. So those people who are apparently not showing any clinical sign they might have already caught the infection and now over the time when they start having a lot of replication of the virus inside the body it reached to the point where it start causing the damage to the organs and that is when the clinical signs started appearing. I wanted to emphasize on to one of the fa fact that now because majority of the people almost all of them have been disembarked and repatriated now they are in the facilities where more uh specialized testing for example PCR which is one of the tests that is specific to detect even low level of the virus can be conducted. So therefore people will be tested positive more than what they were at the cruise ship because at that time majority of the detection was based on the clinical signs and symptom. But the good part is that even if detected positive now in the health facilities the treatment will be available and overall impact on the person will be devised.

[00:12:45]>> Zoe a meeting is taking place in Madrid between the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez and the director general of the World Health Organization. What do you think is being discussed there? Is this all at easing fears in Spain? I guess.

[00:13:00]>> Yeah. I mean, to be honest, I think uh both of them they have quite a long history of um of working together. We know that Pedro Sanchez's government are very supportive of the World Health Organization. Um and so I think this meeting is really is basically saying, you know, um congratulating uh each other for for a job well done. Um I do think that yeah from what we've understood and what we've heard has been well well coordinated. There have been congratulations from Ursla Fondellay head of the European Commission um from the secretary general of the United Nations Antonio Gutierrez from the Dutch prime minister. So in general uh most most people across the world are are sort of saying to both job well done and um nevertheless uh the World Health Organization has explained um as I think we've already heard that there is no immediate threat to uh to to most people but they said that their work is not yet done here because of because of the long the long time things might take for it to develop. Margaret, do you think because of the co experience then that a lot of countries their emergency procedures and preparedness for the outbreak of a virus are actually very very good now?

[00:14:23]Well, certainly everything that's happened with this outbreak gives great confidence that the system which is based around the international health regulations where uh a country when they detect something of concern informs the World Health Organization, they take action, they coordinate with all the countries and and authorities involved and get action taken quickly. That's happened. This is almost a model case.

[00:14:50]So I do think yeah even though the world is in a pretty chaotic state at least our health security system seem to be working well. Muhammad just come in on that. Are you in agreement that because of the co experience so many places now are very very quick to move when there is a viral outbreak.

[00:15:10]Well, I completely agree with you. The overall perception, the understanding the and and overall sort of uh thinking about the impact of the viruses is quite high. But unfortunately, we do know that there are many things that have been unlearned quite quickly after the co 19.

[00:15:26]But generally speaking uh on the habirus outbreak I think the overall operation has been quite effective and I think I want to emphasize onto the fact because of this effectiveness in the operation relatively few uh people have been infected in an environment uh there's a cruise ship which is ideal for the viruses to spread because there is not much um um air exposure. People go out relatively shorter period of time for the fresh air. people are confined within the cabins and therefore majority of the activities are indoors. So if the virus is circulating into the air very luckily people are going to catch the infection but because of this initial um control measures that have been put in place by confronting people within the cabins overall spread of the infection has not been as high as we otherwise would have anticipated. Zoe, talk to me about the feeling in the Canary Islands then when the news broke that this crisis hit cruise ship was going to be docking in one of the islands. These islands depend on tourism.

[00:16:29]>> Indeed, I think I think there was a initial u sense of shock and and genuine fear. uh have to remember that um the Canary Islands were infected by by co corona from um from I think with some German tourists who arrived via cruise ships. So one can understand that um the local people there felt that sort of why us why why are we being um being singled out for this for this special this special event. But I think um with time and given the fact that there was quite a organized response to this, there was a lot of input um Spanish minister of health was there. Uh there was a lot of input various different bodies, the World Health Organization of course. Uh I think that over time they also let's remember that the cruise ship actually docked at an industrial um port in in Canaries. it didn't it didn't come anywhere near um sort of the typical or the usual tourist tourist spots. Uh so I think every precaution to you to avoid further infection or to avoid endangering the local population was taken uh and that has set people's uh hearts and minds at rest. I think also we have to remember that Spain as a country depends hugely on tourism and as we know the summer season is is is arriving. Uh so again that was you know an addition an additional motivation to ensure that this was handled well um because yeah cruise ships are very much a part of life um on the canaries.

[00:18:09]>> Margaret to you let's talk about the selfisolation period. So there are 20 patients who've come from the cruise ship. They're in the northwest of England in a place called the whirl.

[00:18:19]Initially isolating in a hospital for 3 days. Then they will go home for 42 days. six weeks in total. They will need a lot of support, won't they, mental healthwise, just getting through this because it's it's obviously clearly been a deeply distressing situation for them.

[00:18:36]>> Yes, indeed. And and also six weeks at home when you thought you were coming home to resume your normal life is a very tough ask. But I think again this is a population. It's a group of people if every people who are committed to doing the right thing. This is this group of passengers. Um, and this is also something where COVID has given us a lot of experience. The uh place that they're in currently in the whirl is somewhere that was used during COVID. So again, you've got a whole team. You've got people who know what to do and how to handle it and how to handle including the psychosocial aspects which are critical. If you get that wrong, you can mess the whole thing up.

[00:19:20]>> Muhammad, the same point to you. There there's a lot to admire about the medical staff who are dealing with this and just you know looking after those people but at the same time reassuring the public that this is not going to be a bigger problem.

[00:19:34]>> Yes, absolutely. I think we we we know h viruses they are not the new viruses it's been out there the last 50 years.

[00:19:42]So there has been a lot of um initial information available efforts for the vaccines were uh already been attempted.

[00:19:49]uh we know the transmission which is the critical part as Margareta mentioned is that I think the most critical part at the early stages of any outbreak is how quickly it would spread the way it spread so that you can devise your control strategies accordingly. So I think in this start of this outbreak majority of all that information has been brought in together quite a fact communication within different stakeholder even within the scientific community keep discussing what would be the best case scenario and the worst case scenario devising the strategies accordly. All this is the outcome of our learning from previous experiences and being more vigilant really to ensure that site of infection do not cross beyond they should otherwise. Zoe, just on the human side of this story, I thought it was a very nice touch by the captain of the cruise ship. So, the ship was called the MV Hyundus. And then we have the captain, Yan Drovski, and he's come out with a a lovely message really on social media just praising the passengers and his own crew for their patience and kindness. And I get I guess that went a long way towards helping people here, >> I think. So yes, I he said something along the lines of um I couldn't have wished for a nicer, kinder, more patient group of people to to go through this particular well nightmare really through with um and I think yeah from what we can gather people behaved with extreme consideration. Uh they didn't panic.

[00:21:17]They respected all rules and requests uh made by by crew members. So I think as we've said that um as we've already mentioned you know the social element the psychosocial elements of this can make such a difference uh and indeed um I think this has been an exemplary um an exemplary um experience if you have to go through something like this uh you know I think this this is probably the way you want it to work out if we can put it that way.

[00:21:47]>> Thank you Margaret. What will happen that cruise ship now? I'm guessing it will be thoroughly disinfected, cleaned from top to bottom.

[00:21:56]>> In fact, it already has been disinfected. That was one of the first things that happened um when the notification first occurred. But yes, uh that will certainly happen. The crew will go back to the Netherlands uh and they do of course will be uh managed the same way the passengers have been managed. Everybody on the ship is considered a significant contact at this point. Um but yes indeed full disinfection will occur now and there there are very clear procedures for that. Again we've got huge volumes of um uh of information and manuals on how to manage infection on ships because classically that's where outbreaks have occurred for for hundreds of years in human history.

[00:22:44]>> Muhammad just come in on that point about the cruise ship. There will be people watching who will be thinking about booking a cruise this year or maybe next year for a special event or an anniversary or whatever. Um there's no reason not to go on a cruise again is there?

[00:22:58]>> Oh absolutely. I want just want to emphasize onto the point that Margaret mentioned is that the viruses they are very fragile. They are very delicate outside the person outside the host which could be human or the rodents. So once they are outside onto the surfaces surfaces they they do uh die very quickly. they become non-infectious. So there is no even risk associated with such type of viruses in an isolated environment. And this outbreak has been pretty isolated outbreak. Anyways, not every cruise ship is going to have a hunter virus. Not every cruise ship is going to have a noro virus. Generally speaking, these are safe, but there are unfortunate events that do happen which are very difficult to avoid. Zoe, just in terms of the political fallout in Spain over this, I guess Pedro Sanchez will keep going as prime minister. What does it say about the relationship with the governor of the Canary Islands? Will they patch things up?

[00:23:53]>> Yeah, it's a good it's a good question.

[00:23:55]Um, and I think that that remains to be seen. Certainly um Sanchez is taking his usual approach. um you know taking a very confident approach claiming um things um that he's making statements like Spain delivers um obviously using this in the because the the runup to the next national elections has started more or less it's coming on for just under a year before the next national elections take place here in Spain we have large um regional elections taking place here in Anducia next week and Sanchez has again used this particular crisis to help um boost and support their his party's candidates here in Andosia. So I think this is um and it's being called by Vox, the farright party here in Spain. They are claiming that Sanchez is using this as a smoke screen um to cover up or to distract attention from the fairly large um corruption scandal that's currently being tried in Madrid with the ex Minister of Transport um from Sanchez's government. So yeah, the political this really came at an interesting time in terms of Spain's um national and regional politics and we'll just have to see how that all uh shakes down finally over the next few months.

[00:25:20]>> Thanks Zoe. Margaret, just final point to you. The medical world always takes a lot of learning from each case and every incident. What do you think the key takeaways are from this hivirus outbreak?

[00:25:32]I think key takeaways are the system works if you trust it and let it and you do things like provide the information early which is what happened and the the focal point for the international health regulations the the British inform who WHO quickly and if coordination happens so we've got a central coordinating agency speaking with all the government the authorities the shipping company and everybody working together we as humans do very very well. So let's take this one as a model and keep on doing better.

[00:26:06]>> Muhammad Maner, Zoe Bass, and Margaret Harris, thank you all so much for your time on this round table. Remember, you can see more discussion and more debate on our YouTube channel. Search for round table TRT World. And you can listen to select episodes wherever you get your podcasts. But for now, from Brady and all the team here, goodbye and thank you for watching.