Professor Ivane Chkhaidze, Medical Director of the Iashvili Central Children’s Hospital, held a press conference regarding the potential spread of the hantavirus. According to him, the transmission of the infection to humans occurs only through close contact, and the virus’s transmission mechanism rules out the possibility of it becoming an epidemic, let alone a pandemic.
“The virus has two different forms. One is known as the Old World virus, which primarily causes kidney damage and the development of severe hemorrhagic syndrome—a condition characterized by internal bleeding. There is also a second variety, the so-called New World virus, which causes lung damage…
The form of the virus that is currently more widespread is found mainly on the American continent, including South America. The other form is prevalent in Asia. I cannot say whether this virus has been recorded in Georgia. Our country is not an endemic hotspot for it—Asia and South America are the endemic regions.
There is no reason to believe that this virus could become more easily transmissible than it is now, as transmission to humans occurs only through close contact. The mechanism of the infection’s spread rules out the possibility of this virus taking on the character of an epidemic, and even more so, a pandemic,” Ivane Chkhaidze stated.
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