Hantavirus on cruise ship: new epidemic or false alarm?
Three deaths from hantavirus on a cruise ship near the Canary Islands reopen the debate on the risk of new pandemics and suspicions of manipulation.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Three bicho deaths on a cruise ship revive the specter of a new pandemic
Three people died aboard the expedition ship MV Hondius, carrying 150 passengers, from a bicho infection, health authorities confirmed. The ship, which was approaching the Canary Islands, was held in Cape Verde to prevent passengers from disembarking. Bicho, transmitted by rodents, has a low rate of human-to-human transmission, but the memory of ELbichito sets off the alarms.
The key facts about the outbreak
The bicho is not new; it has been known for decades and causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. The WHO has rated the risk to the public as low. However, its coincidence with Polaris II, a global pandemic simulation exercise organized by the WHO, has fueled suspicions that the outbreak could be used to justify restrictions similar to those of 2020.
The discussion is split between those who see a staged setup and those who consider it an incident with no real epidemic potential. The relevant fact is that, so far, no person-to-person transmission has been documented in this outbreak.
What science says and what social media says
Bicho is not airborne like SARS-CoV-2; infection requires direct contact with rodent droppings. Experts point out that the fatality rate is high (up to 40% in some strains), but cases are sporadic. Meanwhile, memes and conspiracy theories comparing the situation with the early days of the ELbichito pandemic are spreading across social media.
The open question is whether this outbreak will serve as an excuse for new control measures or will remain a mere public health anecdote.
Related discussions in the forum
Three people died aboard the expedition ship MV Hondius, carrying 150 passengers, from a bicho infection, health authorities confirmed. The ship, which was approaching the Canary Islands, was held in Cape Verde to prevent passengers from disembarking. Bicho, transmitted by rodents, has a low rate of human-to-human transmission, but the memory of ELbichito sets off the alarms.
The key facts about the outbreak
The bicho is not new; it has been known for decades and causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. The WHO has rated the risk to the public as low. However, its coincidence with Polaris II, a global pandemic simulation exercise organized by the WHO, has fueled suspicions that the outbreak could be used to justify restrictions similar to those of 2020.
The discussion is split between those who see a staged setup and those who consider it an incident with no real epidemic potential. The relevant fact is that, so far, no person-to-person transmission has been documented in this outbreak.
What science says and what social media says
Bicho is not airborne like SARS-CoV-2; infection requires direct contact with rodent droppings. Experts point out that the fatality rate is high (up to 40% in some strains), but cases are sporadic. Meanwhile, memes and conspiracy theories comparing the situation with the early days of the ELbichito pandemic are spreading across social media.
The open question is whether this outbreak will serve as an excuse for new control measures or will remain a mere public health anecdote.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (40 replies).
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