SouthernWorldwide.com – Gilbert Zermeño, an Arizona-based photojournalist, shared his harrowing experience of contracting hantavirus 24 years ago, an illness that tragically claimed the lives of his mother and sister. The recent news of a hantavirus outbreak has brought back painful memories, making it difficult for him to process the situation.
“I imagine I’m feeling the same way that every person who has contracted hantavirus and continues to deal with its lingering effects feels,” Zermeño stated in an interview with CBS News’ “The Daily Report.” “It takes you back, and it’s no less painful now than it was then. It’s tough. I won’t lie.”
In 2002, Zermeño discovered he had contracted hantavirus. This occurred while he was cleaning his family’s home in Texas, shortly after the passing of his mother and sister. He had been exposed to rodent droppings, which led to his infection, requiring him to spend several days in a Phoenix hospital.
Globally, health authorities are closely observing a severe hantavirus outbreak that has been linked to a Dutch-flagged cruise ship. This outbreak has resulted in nine confirmed or suspected cases, with three fatalities.
Zermeño suggested that online misinformation about hantavirus might be causing public panic, primarily due to the use of the word “virus.”
“But I’m here to tell people, look, you need to do some research on this because it’s not as scary as COVID-19 was,” Zermeño advised.
Ann Lindstrand, a representative for the World Health Organization in Cape Verde, informed CBS News on Tuesday that there was no indication of a pandemic-level threat. This assessment is based on the low probability of human-to-human transmission.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the acting director for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, clarified that hantavirus “is not spread by people without symptoms, transmission requires close contact, and the risk to the American public is very low.”
Zermeño recounted that his mother and sister were initially misdiagnosed. Doctors initially attributed their deaths to sepsis, but subsequent testing revealed it was hantavirus. He explained that the rarity of the illness made his own diagnosis and treatment challenging. However, with the support of family members in the medical field, he eventually received an accurate diagnosis.
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“Listen to your medical professionals and have a plan in the event that you do feel that you were exposed to the hantavirus or to someone who had hantavirus,” Zermeño urged. “The likelihood of you catching it from person-to-person is minuscule.”
