Andes Hantavirus at FIFA World Cup 2026: No vaccine, no protocol, no time

Authors

  • Ismail Dergaa High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, University of Manouba, Manouba, Research Unit: Physical Activity, Sport, and Health, UR18JS01, National Observatory of Sport, Tunis 1003, Tunisia
  • Helmi Ben Saad LR12SP09 ‘Heart Failure’ Research Laboratory, Farhat Hached Hospital, University of Sousse, 4000, Sousse, Tunisia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7477-2965

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v104i05.6989

Abstract

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Author Biography

  • Helmi Ben Saad, LR12SP09 ‘Heart Failure’ Research Laboratory, Farhat Hached Hospital, University of Sousse, 4000, Sousse, Tunisia.
    • Professor of Physiology and Functional Explorations at the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse - Tunisia, Department of Physiology and Functional Explorations at EPS Farhat HACHED - Sousse - Tunisia.
    • President of the College of Physiology and Functional Explorations (terms: 2014-2017 and 2021-2023).
    • Master's degree in Biological and Medical Sciences from the University of Montpellier I, France.
    • World expert in spirometry (ranked 1st in Africa): https://expertscape.com/ex/spirometry/c/afr.
    • Diploma of Advanced Studies in "Human Movement Sciences" from the University of Montpellier I, France.
    • Interuniversity Diploma "Pathophysiology of Exercise and Functional Exercise Explorations" from the University of Montpellier 1, France.
    • International PhD in Sciences between the Universities of Montpellier I (France) and Monastir (Tunisia).
    • European Spirometry Driving License Part 1 (theory only) and the European Spirometry Training Program (Part 2: knowledge and competence in practice) and the European Spirometry train-the-trainer course.
    • Invited speaker at numerous international congresses on respiratory functional explorations.
    • Author of over 250 scientific articles in indexed and impact factor journals.
    • Potential reviewer for over 100 indexed and impact factor journals and potential external reviewer for the University of Cape Town (South Africa), uwait (Kuwait) and Mutah (Jordan).
    • Winner of the Sadok BESROUR Award for Excellence in Medical Research (2021).
    • Web:
    1. http://scholar.google.fr/citations?hl=fr&user=oeV_0OwAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdatehttp://www.researchgate.net/profile/Helmi_Ben_Saad
    2. https://publons.com/author/602231/helmi-ben-saad#profile
    3. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Helmi_Ben_Saad

References

World Health Organization. Hantavirus cluster linked to cruise ship travel, Multi-country. Disease Outbreak News. Geneva: WHO;

May 2026. Link: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease- outbreak-news/item/2026-DON599 (Last visit: May 18, 2026).

World Health Organization. WHO's response to hantavirus cases linked to a cruise ship. Geneva: WHO; 7 May 2026. Link: https://

www.who.int/news/item/07-05-2026-who-s-response-to-hantavirus-cases-linked-to-a-cruise-ship (Last visit: May 18, 2026).

Afzal S, Ali L, Batool A, Afzal M, Kanwal N, Hassan M, et al. Hantavirus: an overview and advancements in therapeutic

approaches for infection. Front Microbiol. 2023;14:1233433.

Martinez VP, Di Paola N, Alonso DO, Perez-Sautu U, Bellomo CM, Iglesias AA, et al. "Super-Spreaders" and person-to-

person transmission of Andes virus in Argentina. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(23):2230-41.

Dergaa I, Ben Saad H, Souissi A, Musa S, Abdulmalik MA, Chamari K. Olympic Games in COVID-19 times: lessons learned with special

focus on the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Br J Sports Med. 2022;56(12):654-6.

Dergaa I, Ben Saad H, Zmijewski P, Farhat RA, Romdhani M, Souissi A, et al. Large-scale sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic:

insights from the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar with an analysis of patterns of COVID-19 metrics. Biol Sport. 2023;40(4):1249-58.

Williams CJ, Schenkel K, Eckmanns T, Altmann D, Krause G. FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany: enhanced surveillance improved

timeliness and detection. Epidemiol Infect. 2009;137(4):597-605.

Dergaa I, Zakhama L, Dziri C, Ben Saad H. Enhancing scholarly discourse in the age of artificial intelligence: A guided approach to

effective peer review process. Tunis Med. 2023;101(10):721-6.

Additional Files

Published

2026-05-24 — Updated on 2026-07-13

Issue

Vol. 104 No. 05 (2026): Tunis Med May 2026

Section

Editorial

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