WHO: Hantavirus may have spread between humans

WHO: Hantavirus may have spread between humans

From Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

May 5, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential human-to-human transmission of hantavirus, recent geopolitical tensions, and various global issues including health and language extinction.

The World Health Organization says there may have been human-to-human transmission of a rare respiratory virus usually spread by rodents onboard a cruise ship off Africa's west coast. Three passengers have died and another is seriously ill. The ship was denied permission to dock in Cape Verde after cases of hantavirus were confirmed. The WHO says the risk to the global population is "low". Also: the US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says the US-Iran ceasefire is ''not over'' despite both sides attacking each other in the Strait of Hormuz. Residents in southern Lebanon say they fear a prolonged conflict with Israel, as the Israeli army instructs more civilians to leave their homes. There is lingering anger in Serbia over a lack of accountability for a railway station disaster that killed 16 people in 2024. A new book explores why so many of the world's languages could be extinct by the end of this century. And Dolly Parton has cancelled her Las Vegas residency because of ongoing health issues. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate…

Topics covered

  • hantavirus
  • human-to-human transmission
  • US-Iran ceasefire
  • conflict in Lebanon
  • Serbia railway disaster
  • language extinction
  • Dolly Parton health issues

Keywords

  • hantavirus
  • World Health Organization
  • US-Iran ceasefire
  • Dolly Parton
  • railway disaster
  • language extinction
  • conflict

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: World Health Organization

Places: Cape Verde, Strait of Hormuz, southern Lebanon, Israel, Serbia

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