A new virus has been spreading on a cruise ship, causing fatalities among both passengers and crew.
The virus was identified as hantavirus, leading to the hospitalization of victims and prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to urge periodic health monitoring alongside a strict 42-day quarantine.
In an interview with SBS Indonesian, Dr. Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist affiliated with Griffith University in Brisbane and Yarsi University in Jakarta, provided insight into the situation.
He explained that while hantavirus poses a low risk to general society and is unlikely to cause a pandemic, it remains highly dangerous on an individual level, capable of causing severe illness and death.
Consequently, he suggests that in addition to avoiding contact with rodents like rats, society must place a stronger focus on the health of our environment and the planet as a whole.
