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Bill Gates, Hantavirus
Credit: X, Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bill Gates is drawing attention online after a past interview about the “next pandemic” resurfaced – just as a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship has left three people dead.
The renewed interest comes after the World Health Organization confirmed five cases connected to the cruise ship that departed from Argentina around a month ago. Three passengers have died during the ship’s voyage, and more than 150 people were left stranded off the coast of Cape Verde. The vessel has since been cleared to dock in the Canary Islands.
Health officials say the situation is being closely monitored, though the WHO stressed that the outbreak is expected to remain limited. Contact tracing efforts are now underway in several countries after some passengers left the ship before the virus was detected.
Authorities in Argentina suspect the virus may have originated from a birdwatching trip to a landfill site in Ushuaia.
Bill Gates’ prediction for the “next pandemic”
At the same time, an interview Bill Gates gave on The View last year has started circulating again online, according to UNILAD. During the appearance, he warned that the world still isn’t fully prepared for another major global health crisis – and suggested the next one could be even worse than Covid.