{"id":1437,"date":"2026-05-18T14:39:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1437"},"modified":"2026-05-18T14:39:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:39:41","slug":"infectious-diseases-such-as-hantavirus-and-ebola-becoming-more-frequent-and-damaging-say-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1437","title":{"rendered":"Infectious diseases such as hantavirus and Ebola becoming more frequent and damaging, say experts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"f28a9146-e6ec-4204-a6dc-068b88c6d1a6\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A person in a surgical mask and plastic apron holds a  thermometer to the head of a man carrying a child.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/78eddb4c1dcd269c4a3ca0a694f59f07db5f06f2\/400_0_4560_3648\/master\/4560.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A health official uses a thermometer to screen people in front of Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, 16 May, 2026. <\/span> Photograph: Hajarah Nalwadda\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"f28a9146-e6ec-4204-a6dc-068b88c6d1a6\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A health official uses a thermometer to screen people in front of Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, 16 May, 2026. <\/span> Photograph: Hajarah Nalwadda\/AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Infectious diseases such as hantavirus and Ebola becoming more frequent and damaging, say experts<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Pandemic report warns of growing global threat as health teams in Africa move to contain Ebola outbreak <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The world is becoming less resilient to outbreaks of infectious diseases, experts have warned, as health authorities in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/congo\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/a> and Uganda scramble to contain an outbreak of Ebola.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gpmb.org\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Global Preparedness Monitoring Board<\/a> (GPMB) said in a report <a href=\"https:\/\/gpmb.org\/reports\/report-2026\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">published on Monday<\/a> that \u201cas infectious disease outbreaks become more frequent they are also becoming more damaging\u201d, warning that pandemic risk is outpacing investments in preparedness and \u201cthe world is not yet meaningfully safer\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Disease outbreaks are becoming more likely due to the climate crisis and armed conflict, while collective action is being undermined by geopolitical fragmentation and commercial self-interest, the report said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The GPMB is a group of experts established in 2018 by the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO) after the first large scale Ebola outbreak in west Africa and just before Covid-19. Its latest findings come amid global <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/12\/who-head-warns-countries-prepare-more-hantavirus-cases\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">attention on the hantavirus outbreak<\/a> on a cruise ship and a day after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/17\/who-ebola-outbreak-congo-uganda-global-health-emergency\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">declaration of an international public health emergency after at least 87 Ebola deaths<\/a> in the DRC.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"f8f977ea-a581-4bb6-a2fd-a1ef5ac30c80\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A person in a white hazmat suit and visor stands on the tarmac next to an aircraft and is sprayed by a person wearing an orange protective suit and visor while others in protective clothing look on.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/773303a2127b79b5e3078c573e33bb4ffdae10b5\/0_0_1588_1041\/master\/1588.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"291.71599496221666\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"f8f977ea-a581-4bb6-a2fd-a1ef5ac30c80\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A passenger is sprayed with disinfectant by Spanish officials before boarding a plane at Tenerife airport, after disembarking from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius, Spain, 10 May, 2026. <\/span> Photograph: AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The two outbreaks \u201care just the latest crises in our troubled world\u201d, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the opening of the UN agency\u2019s World <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/health\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Health<\/a> Assembly in Geneva.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">WHO\u2019s representative in the DRC, Anne Ancia, told Reuters that in responding to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/ebola\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Ebola<\/a> outbreak it had emptied its stocks of protective equipment in the capital, Kinshasa, and was preparing a cargo plane to bring additional supplies from a depot in Kenya. The International Rescue Committee and M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res aid groups said they had teams responding to the outbreak.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In Geneva, Prof Matthew Kavanagh, director of the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Policy &amp; Politics, said aid cuts may have played a role in leaving the world \u201cplaying catch-up against a very dangerous pathogen\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He said: \u201cBecause early tests looked for the wrong strain of Ebola, we got false negatives and lost weeks of response time. By the time the alarm was raised, the virus had already moved along major transport routes and crossed borders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis crisis didn\u2019t happen in a vacuum. When you pull billions out of the WHO and dismantle frontline USAID programmes, you gut the exact surveillance system meant to catch these viruses early. We are seeing the direct, deadly consequences of treating global health security as an optional expense.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"8ee3c9c7-243d-4522-8057-638f33af7e10\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-10 | 10\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-1bg5532\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/may\/05\/talks-stall-on-who-pandemic-treaty-global-response-disease-outbreaks\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">World \u2018unprepared\u2019 for next pandemic as countries fail to agree on sharing information, tests and vaccines<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The GPMB report finds that new technologies, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2026\/jan\/01\/the-guardian-view-on-mrna-vaccines-they-are-the-future-with-or-without-donald-trump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">novel vaccine platforms such as mRNA<\/a>, have \u201cadvanced at unprecedented speed\u201d and billions of dollars have been invested in pandemic preparedness and response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But the world is \u201cmoving backwards\u201d on measures <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2024\/nov\/21\/world-responded-slowly-mpox-outbreak\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">such as ensuring equitable access to vaccines, tests and treatments<\/a>, it found. During recent mpox outbreaks, vaccines took almost two years to reach affected countries in Africa, which is even slower than the 17 months <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2021\/oct\/21\/only-14-of-promised-covid-vaccine-doses-reach-poorest-nations\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">it took for Covid-19 vaccines<\/a> to be distributed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Outbreaks had damaged trust in government, civil liberties and democratic norms, amplified by politicised responses and attacks on scientific institutions, the GPMB warned. These had outlasted the crises themselves and left societies \u201cless resilient to the next emergency\u201d, it said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi\u0107, GPMB co-chair and former president of Croatia, said: \u201cThe world does not lack solutions. But without trust and equity, those solutions will not reach the people who need them most.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"bca27d40-9b90-4f7d-94d3-0789091ab08b\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Two people in a protective clothing and full helmet-type face masks in a laboratory \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/dc0d6643564f2cfdcbf66b1a7187e61a4c2d87ae\/0_182_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"266.9837353801169\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"bca27d40-9b90-4f7d-94d3-0789091ab08b\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">BioNTech researchers, who made the mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine in 2021. The GPMB cited mRNA as an example of the \u2018unprecedented speed\u2019 of medical advances. <\/span> Photograph: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cPolitical leaders, industry and civil society can still change the trajectory of global preparedness \u2013 if they turn their commitments into measurable progress before the next crisis strikes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/may\/05\/talks-stall-on-who-pandemic-treaty-global-response-disease-outbreaks\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Countries failed to meet a deadline to finalise<\/a> the pandemic agreement treaty before this week\u2019s World Health Assembly in Geneva, after disagreements over guarantees of access to medical tests, vaccines and treatments in exchange for sharing information on any pathogens emerging on their territories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The GPMB called on political leaders to establish a permanent, independent monitoring mechanism to track pandemic risk, conclude the pandemic agreement to ensure equitable access to vaccines, diagnostic tests and medicines, and put in place financing to secure preparedness and immediate responses to outbreaks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Joy Phumaphi, the GPMB co-chair and a former health minister in Botswana, said: \u201cIf trust and cooperation continue to fracture, every country will be more exposed when the next pandemic strikes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/global-health\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Global health<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/ebola\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Ebola<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/monkeypox\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Mpox<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/world-health-organization\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">World Health Organization<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/society\/health\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Health<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/science\/infectiousdiseases\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Infectious diseases<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/congo\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Infectious%20diseases%20such%20as%20hantavirus%20and%20Ebola%20becoming%20more%20frequent%20and%20damaging,%20say%20experts&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/may\/18\/infectious-diseases-hantavirus-ebola-more-frequent-damaging-pandemic-outbreak?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fglobal-development%2F2026%2Fmay%2F18%2Finfectious-diseases-hantavirus-ebola-more-frequent-damaging-pandemic-outbreak&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=global-development\/2026\/may\/18\/infectious-diseases-hantavirus-ebola-more-frequent-damaging-pandemic-outbreak\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A health official uses a thermometer to screen people in front of Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, 16 May, 2026. Photograph: Hajarah Nalwadda\/AP View image in fullscreen A health &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1437\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1437\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}