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Is hantavirus the next pandemic? Trump says we 'hope' not — let's do more!
politics

Is hantavirus the next pandemic? Trump says we 'hope' not — let's do more!

The Hill · May 12, 2026, 5:16 PM · Also reported by 1 other source

Key takeaways

  • And then asked whether it would spread, I hope not.
  • Personally, I d prefer to quarantine everybody until we could be certain that they did not have the virus.
  • Unfortunately, this strain of hantavirus has a very long asymptomatic incubation period.

Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.

It s very much, we hope, under control. It should be fine. We hope. And then asked whether it would spread, I hope not.

Well, I, for one, would like to do more than just hope it will be fine, which is why I was initially quite alarmed to read news reports suggesting that the American passengers of the Dutch cruise ship where the outbreak occurred were being brought back inside our country. Personally, I d prefer to quarantine everybody until we could be certain that they did not have the virus.

Unfortunately, this strain of hantavirus has a very long asymptomatic incubation period. Now, the victim is apparently not contagious during that time period, though this strain of hantavirus can spread via human-to-human contact, though contact from rats is the far more likely method of infection.

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