Three people have died and 11 cases have been reported in a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship.
Experts Call for a Shift in Global Response
In response to the outbreak, Dr. Don Milton, a University of Maryland expert on airborne viruses, co-authored an opinion piece in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The article calls on the World Health Organization (WHO) to fundamentally change its default response to emerging respiratory viruses.
The urgency is driven by the nature of the virus: the outbreak involves hantavirus, which has a high fatality rate and shows evidence of person-to-person transmission.
Key Recommendations from the BMJ Article
"The WHO's default response should include immediate adoption of precautionary measures to reduce airborne transmission."
The authors recommend specific, immediate actions:
- Respirator use by healthcare workers, infected individuals, and their close contacts.
- Improving ventilation in enclosed spaces.
- Avoiding unfiltered air recirculation.
- Using portable HEPA filtration in enclosed quarantine and transport settings.
The Authors
The opinion piece was co-authored by a panel of international experts:
- Trisha Greenhalgh (University of Oxford)
- David N. Fisman (University of Toronto)
- Amanda Kvalsvig (University of Otago)
- Lidia Morawska (Queensland University of Technology)
- Jonathan M. Samet (Colorado School of Public Health)
- Don Milton (University of Maryland)
The Science Behind the Call
Dr. Milton's own research has been foundational to this argument. His work has demonstrated how viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza are transmitted via exhaled breath, and has shown the efficacy of masks for prevention.