Hantavirus Poses No Pandemic Risk, Says Turkish Medical Association President

Concerns have surfaced regarding hantavirus following recent outbreaks, prompting clarification from Prof. Dr. Alpay Azap, President of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and an expert in Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. Dr. Azap emphasized that hantavirus is not a new threat, belonging to a virus family known for decades, with over 40 identified types, about 20 of which can infect humans.

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Hantavirus is a virus family known for many years, and there are more than 40 types, about 20 of which cause disease in humans.

The primary mode of transmission, Dr. Azap explained, is through the inhalation of dust contaminated by rodent urine and feces. Other transmission routes include consuming food contaminated by rodent excreta or direct contact with rodent bites or excretions through open wounds. He noted that human-to-human transmission is exceptionally limited, with only a few suspected cases reported for one specific type. Therefore, outbreaks are typically linked to a common source contaminated by rodents.

Addressing recent cases on a cruise ship, Dr. Azap identified the virus strain as "Andes," commonly found in South American rodents. He stated that the cases on the ship are believed to have a common source, rather than person-to-person spread, which is considered unlikely for this strain. This distinction is crucial, as different hantavirus strains prevalent in various geographical regions pose different health risks. Strains in the Americas often cause severe diseases like Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, leading to respiratory failure, while strains in Europe and Asia primarily affect the kidneys, with lower mortality rates.

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Human-to-human transmission is very limited, and there are only a few suspected case reports for one of these 20 different types. Therefore, they are generally transmitted to other people from a common source contaminated by rodents.

Crucially, Dr. Azap reassured the public that a widespread pandemic is highly unlikely. He cited assessments from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), both of which classify the pandemic risk as very low. "There is absolutely no need to panic," Dr. Azap stated, underscoring that the virus's limited human-to-human transmission capability prevents it from escalating into a global health crisis. Treatment remains supportive, focusing on managing symptoms.

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There is absolutely no risk of a major pandemic spreading worldwide. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control also classified the pandemic risk as very, very low as of yesterday in its updates.