A Fertile Environment for Hantavirus

By: Mohammed Ahmed Al-Feelabi
Environmental Specialist

When some parties announced the appearance of Hantavirus in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, some thought this was an exaggeration of the environmental effects of war.
However, the stark truth emerged with the accumulation of decomposing bodies in the streets, buried without following the accepted protocols for disposing of bodies, becoming food for dogs, cats, and rodents that breed in such fertile environments.
As rodents multiply, their waste accumulates, causing the spread of the viral disease, which is transmitted from rodents to humans, causing extensive damage to the lungs and kidneys, and can even lead to cancer.
What links the spread of the virus to wars is the chaotic environment, the spread of human and animal remains and waste, and the preoccupation of official bodies with everything except armament, killing, and destruction.
Some belligerents may see military victories in destroying infrastructure, burning crops, polluting water wells, and poisoning the soil. But these are short-term benefits, and their devastating consequences can last for decades.
The hantavirus is not new.
Neurologist Sumaya Al-Sheikh says it first appeared in 1950 during the Korean War, and some confirm its appearance even earlier during the trench warfare of World War I. Reports speak of a massive rodent infestation in Russian and Ukrainian soldiers’ trenches, and videos shared by soldiers on social media have shown the extent of the disease’s spread on the front lines.
Mice and rats have been seen scurrying under beds, in backpacks, coat pockets, and pillowcases. Mice have even been seen streaming from a Russian mortar tower like bullets.
Hantavirus surveillance began in the United States in 1993, following an outbreak of acute respiratory illness in the Four Corners area.

Symptoms of the virus begin with sudden fever, headache, and muscle aches, typically appearing two weeks after exposure to rodent feces or urine, or inhaling dust contaminated with these wastes.
People may also experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Despite the intense focus on the devastating effects of the war on the environment in Khartoum and Sudan’s major cities, there has been a steady flow of people returning, without sufficient awareness of what had happened to their environment over the course of two years of urban warfare.
Some are working hard to deliver warning and guidance messages about the best ways to deal with hantavirus, which include preventing its spread by reducing exposure to rodents. These include taking all possible measures, such as handling remains of dead bodies properly, not sweeping to prevent dust buildup, maintaining proper ventilation, sealing cracks in walls, and burying dead rodents.