90-Second Read: There’s a clear takeaway from the Hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks

Although much remains to be learned about Hantaviruses, there are some things we know. Hantavirus infections with a variety of strains occur all over the world and are rare, the United States averages 10 to 20 cases a year. The post There's a clear takeaway from the Hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks appeared first on MS NOW. We closely collaborated with Argentine scientists on a newly emerged Hantavirus closely related to the Andes virus found in rodents that had already caused disease in humans.

Outbreaks remind us that we have to consider worst-case scenarios, too, when disrupting the natural world. During the Ebola outbreak a decade before that, there were two fatalities in the U.S., though rapid identification and contact tracing helped contain the spread. As with the recent cases, there were limited treatment options available for these patients or their close contacts. Cases of the Andes virus have been rising in Argentina.

Infections have progressed to very serious disease in some people. We do not really understand yet what mild infections look like for the Andes virus or how often they occur. Such research can offer information about how long a specific virus strain has been circulating and whether it has spilled over into humans, data crucial to navigating current and future outbreaks. Although some research has been done on the Andes virus, there is still much to learn about how it behaves in the context of an outbreak.

Unfortunately, as priorities shifted at NIH, the program was not renewed last year. The French microbiologist Louis Pasteur said, "In the fields of observation, chance only favors the mind which is prepared." Outbreaks like the one on the MV Hondius will continue to happen. A case of Lassa fever in Iowa in 2024 resulted in 180 contacts though just one fatality.