We Should Take Hantavirus More Seriously

There's no question that another pandemic will strike, but no one knows when or which virus will be the cause. What we can determine with pretty good clarity is how ready we'll be, how well we're constructing obstacles to slow the path of emerging threats and how fast we're learning lessons from painful experience.

As the final remaining passengers disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship, on which at least seven people were confirmed to have been infected with hantavirus traveled, the answers are becoming increasingly clear: We're still leaving a lot to chance, crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.