ICN Watch

Ebola, bad news


Listen Later

Hantavirus, good news

No cases unrelated to MV Hondius.

Recent additional confirmed cases

Passengers and crew only

People identified during repatriation/quarantine after being onboard.

Spanish evacuee from the ship testing positive while already in quarantine in Madrid

Canadian passenger testing positive after returning home

Crew member repatriated to the Netherlands later confirmed positive.

No confirmed community-spread cases reported in people who were not on the ship

https://apnews.com/article/hantavirus-ship-quarantine-andes-virus-302d45d77aac4d55aa76c43d79f54ec9

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/spanish-national-evacuated-hantavirus-cruise-ship-tests-positive-2026-05-25/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Ebola, Bundibugyo strain

Filovirus family

The good news

This will not be a pandemic

Sporadic cases only in the West

The bad news

Third largest outbreak so far

Million people moving around

Relatives wash the dead who are highly infectious

Unknown cases and many more unknown contacts

High positivity rate

A disease focus has been allowed to establish

Local spread in Kampala

WHO and the Africa CDC

https://www.who.int/news/item/22-05-2026-first-meeting-of-the-ihr-emergency-committee-regarding-the-epidemic-of-ebola-bundibugyo-virus-disease-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-and-uganda-2026-temporary-recommendations?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/africa-health-body-warns-10-countries-at-risk-of-ebola-outbreak/3946951?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Warned neighbouring or nearby countries are at increased risk

Rwanda

Kenya
Ethiopia
South Sudan
Burundi
United Republic of Tanzania
Republic of the Congo
Central African Republic
Zambia
Angola

Non-specific symptoms come first, more diagnostic symptoms later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__08tHh6lS8

Patients on normal wards in DRC

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/ebola-patients-flee-attacks-congo-health-facilities-hobbling-response-2026-05-25/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.wsj.com/world/africa/doctors-hospitals-struggle-to-keep-up-with-ebolas-spread-8a489864?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Hospitals and clinics overcrowded

Isolation capacity inadequate

Some facilities are “full of suspect cases”

Attacks on treatment centres have caused infected patients to flee.

I expect nosocomial transmission, HAIs.

Vectors and fomites

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7F-SSNQ57M

177 deaths, 904 cases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZB2ZGUWEbc

United States imposes travel restrictions

Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan.

https://www.cdc.gov/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers/travel-to-us/index.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

non-U.S. citizens (including green card holders) who have been in those countries within the previous 21 days are temporarily barred from entering the United States.

U.S. citizens are still allowed to return, but they undergo enhanced screening and are routed through designated airports.

Washington Dulles, Atlanta, and Houston

World cup
11th June, US, Mexico, Canada

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

ICN WatchBy ICN