this post was submitted on 12 May 2026
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The head of the World Health Organization has warned 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.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to follow the WHO’s advice and recommendations, which include a 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts.

“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.

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[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 63 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Judging by how we did with the last pandemic ... I guess we should enjoy whatever we've got now because all of it is going to get screwed up by the dumbest people on the planet

[–] BeardededSquidward@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Dunno about you, I don't really own anything of value. I'm barely scrapping by as it is now. So yeah, it's not hard to feel the desire to let the world burn when your personal life is turning into a relentless treadmill.

[–] YoureHotCupCake@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

Hey if you get infected become a hero and apply at ICE in person.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

But people are dumb so that's why he's back.

[–] MastKalandar@feddit.online 2 points 2 weeks ago

So you believe things are going to get difficult by this month end ??

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 30 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak

I'd fucking hope so...

If we see signs of a larger outbteak, it's already too late. This has 40% mortality rate under the best conditions when dealing with isolated cases, and an R factor over two (1 is where its infectious enough to cause wifescale problems)

This is like Y2k all over again. We need to take it seriously and if we do a bunch of idiots will think that means we didn't need to.

But if we let the idiots win and don't take it seriously, then we're all fucked

I'll never understand why the idiots get so fucking triggered that someone else is worried about something and trying to protect them.

If people don't think this is a big deal and there's no reason for anyone to worry, then they can just ignore the entire thing on a personal level.

Instead they feel insulted if anyone disagrees with them, because that's what idiots do.

They don't care about if they're right, they just get mad if anyone disagrees with them about anything.

[–] Banana@sh.itjust.works 30 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Hantavirus is not nearly as contagious as something like COVID and requires close, prolonged contact and sharing of respiratory secretions or saliva to spread. Its important to be wary of hantavirus, but the best thing you can do instead of panicking is to educate yourself on it.

Ever swept your garage? You were putting yourself at risk for hantavirus. A lot of people don't know this. Read up on the way it spreads and where it originates (usually rodent droppings -- it's no surprise this happened on a cruise ship as they are pretty well known vectors of disease), and how to properly deal with things like that.

I understand why you feel worried and that is valid, but channel that energy into educating yourself and those in your circles so you're prepared.

[–] stepintomydojo@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

FYI, the suspected origin is South America, not on board the ship. Cruise ships do seem to be perfect environments for further spreading disease, though.

On Thursday, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said the Dutch couple, who were the first two cases, had travelled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip “which included visits to sites where the species of rat known to carry the virus was present”.

[–] Banana@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This makes sense! Those dang bird watchers shakes fist

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yeah: bird watching at a dump. What the hell were they looking for, seagulls?

[–] Banana@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Argentine officials have said the couple took a bird-watching tour that included a stop at a garbage dump where they may have been exposed to rodents carrying the infection.

Yeah, at a goddamn dump.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

seagulls?

You don't like seagulls?

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[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's extremely questionable if Andes strain really transmits person-person.

Cruise ships are disgusting and infamous for food contamination. The industry is really pushing the "it was one guy" theory to distract from shit in the food.

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[–] radiofreebc@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

The origin wasn't the ship. It was a landfill that 2 of the ship's guests went to in a port in Argentina.

They brought it onboard.

[–] Banana@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I just learned this earlier today! Fuckin weird people birdwatching at a dump.

[–] sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 weeks ago

Doesn't sound weird to me. How do you breathe rat droppings at an outdoor environment like a dump?

[–] YoureHotCupCake@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Shouldn't a mask be extremely effective against this virus? So it should be easy to protect yourself I would think.

It will probably also be a form of natural selection for those that refuse to wear one.

[–] MML@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago

I think even basic hygiene would be pretty effective against the virus, IDK doesn't seem like the "next COVID" even if we should do what we can to prevent it.

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[–] garretble@lemmy.world 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So when is the next Animal Crossing coming out? That's how we'll know.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Neither Animal Crossing nor Doom have upcoming entries announced. We're safe for the time being!

[–] EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Death stranding 2 just dropped what do you mean? Those come after the chaos, the prophets are screaming.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It dropped almost a year ago; Covid hit around 4 months after the first one. I think we're past the danger zone now.

[–] MastKalandar@piefed.ca 1 points 2 weeks ago

What kind of danger ??

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[–] stretch2m@infosec.pub 18 points 2 weeks ago

Thank God we have a capable politician heading up Health and Human Services. And a reasonable President.

Oh, wait.

[–] CoolSouthpaw@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Whoa, whoa, slow down. I ain't ready for COVID 2 yet!

[–] EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh this is colossally worse. Is that a word? It is now. This has basically a few days where you’re ‘fine’ w/ cold symptoms, and next thing you know you’re dead.

[–] caboose2006@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Yeah, but unless you're making out with an infected person, ya ain't getting hantavirus. This will not be COVID 2. I'd be surprised if 30 people total get infected from this "outbreak"

[–] nickiwest@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Non-US research suggests that the Andean strain of hantavirus is spread through respiratory droplets, like Covid.

There are documented cases of infection in people who were just in the same room as the person who gave it to them.

[–] MastKalandar@piefed.ca 1 points 2 weeks ago

That involves social distancing ??

[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

It specifically infects the lungs. The normal method of transmission WAS stir up rodent shit breath in the aerosolized particles get sick with no route between person A to B. If its passing from human to human we have no idea how transmissible it is or as it evolves in a larger population of people than ever before how transmissible it will become.

We also need to know when in that long ass incubation period you become capable of spreading it. Ideally its when you become visibly sick but who fucking knows. If its much earlier it could be a fucking disaster.

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Guess the antivaxxers better organise some rat feces parties to make sure their immune systems are working as nature intended. Soon, Alex Jones will be selling Ratvermectin: "The disease and the cure in one pleasant-tasting paste!"

[–] Skyrmir@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

We just sent a boatload of sample cases all over the world so countries can practice for the outbreak...

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[–] MrSulu@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Send in RFK protected by his healthy living and without a mask.

[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 2 points 2 weeks ago

Nurgle protects him from the virus so he can spread nurgles blessings.

[–] Solrac@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

Remember how they had that meeting a while ago? Just like with covid? Yeah, stock up long term food just in case

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

On the plus side, probably no better time to buy cruise tickets!

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago

Most of the diarrhea has been cleaned up!

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 3 points 2 weeks ago

Time to hoard toilet paper and ivermectin I guess

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 2 weeks ago

seems the most lethal viruses are carried by rodents, and bats. rodents have hantaviruses, poxviruses likely originated from them before becoming smallpox. and bats with ebola,rabies.

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