Officials Downplay Andes Hantavirus Risks as Scientists Dispute Close-Contact-Only Spread
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Officials Downplay Andes Hantavirus Risks as Scientists Dispute Close-Contact-Only Spread
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Health officials are telling the public that Andes hantavirus spreads only through close, sustained contact with a symptomatic person, even as experts say the evidence is less definitive.
Scientists who study hantaviruses say the virus is not highly contagious and is unlikely to trigger a wider outbreak, but research suggests transmission can occur in some circumstances without direct contact.
Jay Bhattacharya, the acting CDC director, repeated the close-contact message on Fox News, while WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus acknowledged officials have stressed that route to avoid causing panic over rarer possibilities.
The dispute centers less on whether Andes virus spreads easily than on how candid officials should be about scientific uncertainty, with researchers warning that oversimplified messaging could damage credibility.
After COVID, why are health officials and scientists clashing again over how a deadly virus spreads?
A virus spread on a cruise without close contact. What does this mean for air travel and office safety?