Emerging Global Health Threats: Hantavirus and Ebola
Overview of Hantavirus and Ebola
Barely years after the Covid-19 pandemic, the emergence of hantavirus and the Ebola virus is raising fresh concerns for global health. While neither virus has spread with the same intensity as Covid-19, they present unique challenges.
- Hantavirus
- The WHO assesses the spread of hantavirus as low-risk.
- The virus is zoonotic, primarily spreading through the inhalation of rodent saliva, urine, or droppings.
- Human-to-human transmission is rare.
- Ebola Virus
- Declared a “public health emergency of international concern” by WHO.
- Recent outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda have resulted in 88 deaths and 300 cases.
- Unlike hantavirus, Ebola is contagious and spreads through fluid exchanges.
- No globally approved vaccines; existing vaccines do not work on the Bundibugyo strain.
- Intense movement within the DRC and beyond threatens to accelerate transmission.
Risks to India
India's risk remains low for now due to limited air travel from affected zones. However, localized risks for hantavirus are higher due to urban sanitation issues that attract rodents.
Challenges in Containment
The major challenge in containing these outbreaks is the lack of resources for a global response, compounded by the dissolution of USAID and the US withdrawal from WHO under previous administration.
US Role in Global Health
The US has historically played a pivotal role in combating global health crises, including the Ebola outbreak in DRC. The current administration's involvement in stemming Covid-19 highlights the importance of international cooperation.
