Health Updates Webinar #285 (Rats, Dust, and Danger: Ano ang dapat alamin tungkol sa Hantavirus?)

The University of the Philippines,
in partnership with the UP Manila – National Institutes of Health,
and in cooperation with UP Philippine General Hospital and UP College of Medicine,
would like to invite you to attend this webinar!

Registration slots are limited to this HEALTH UPDATES webinar
So sign up NOW:
bit.ly/HealthUpdatesWebinar285

Webinar #285
May 22, 2026 (Friday), 12:00 noon
Rats, Dust, and Danger
Ano Ang Dapat Alamin Tungkol sa Hantavirus?

Presenter:
Dr. Arthur Dessi E. Roman
President
Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

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Webinar #285
May 22, 2026 (Friday), 12:00 noon
Rats, Dust, and Danger
Ano Ang Dapat Alamin Tungkol sa Hantavirus?

The recent, highly publicized multi-country outbreak of severe acute respiratory illness linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship in the South Atlantic has once again underscored the volatile nature of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic pathogens. Molecular diagnostics and genomic sequencing have confirmed the causative agent of this deadly cluster as the Andes virus, a distinctly virulent hantavirus strain indigenous to South America. As public health agencies orchestrate complex international contact tracing and stringently monitor repatriated passengers across multiple continents, frontline healthcare workers must remain exceptionally vigilant. While the absolute risk to the general global population resides at a low threshold, the unique epidemiological characteristics of the Andes virus demand an immediate, rigorous baseline of clinical awareness.

In this week’s episode, we will meticulously deconstruct the clinical complexities, transmission mechanics, and diagnostic markers of hantavirus infections. Unlike standard hantaviruses, which are exclusively contracted via the inhalation of aerosolized excreta from infected rodent vectors, the Andes virus variant poses an elevated risk due to its documented capacity for limited, close-contact interhuman transmission. We will review the pathophysiology of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, which is a devastating manifestation characterized by a prodromal phase of fever, severe myalgia, and gastrointestinal distress that rapidly escalates into bilateral pulmonary edema, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and refractory cardiogenic shock.

Our speaker is Dr. Arthur Dessi E. Roman, who is the current President of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Join us and be part of the medical workforce that stands prepared to identify, isolate, and safely manage potential cases.