Is Hantavirus a threat to Europe? Climate change and habitat destruction are increasing the risk

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🗞️ Driving the news: A recent hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has reignited concerns about how climate change and environmental disruption could increase the risk of zoonotic diseases in Europe and beyond

🔭 The context: As of mid-May, 11 hantavirus cases and three deaths had been linked to the cruise ship outbreak, though the WHO says there is no evidence of a wider pandemic threat
• Hantaviruses are primarily spread by rodents, with transmission often occurring through exposure to contaminated droppings, urine, or saliva
• Scientists say climate-sensitive diseases like hantavirus can become more common as warming temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and habitat disruption affect rodent populations and human exposure

🌍 Why it matters: Climate change is reshaping the conditions that allow infectious diseases to emerge and spread
• Ecosystem fragmentation and habitat degradation often favor adaptable species like rodents, increasing spillover risks to humans
• Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and wildfires can disrupt ecological balances and public infrastructure, creating new pathways for disease transmission

⏭️ What’s next: Experts are calling for stronger climate-informed disease surveillance and ecosystem restoration efforts
• Policymakers are being urged to integrate climate, biodiversity, and epidemiological data into public health monitoring systems
• Researchers say restoring forests and protecting ecosystems could help reduce reservoir rodent populations and lower disease risk

📈 One stat: More than half of all known human infectious diseases are considered climate-sensitive, according to a 2022 study published in Nature

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