# When Digital Alerts Fail: The Hantavirus Challenge The COVID‑19 pandemic propelled contact‑tracing apps into the public eye, but their relevance to hantavirus outbreaks is fundamentally limited. Health authorities quickly recognized that hantavirus spreads through contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva—not via person‑to‑person airborne transmission—rendering proximity‑based notifications largely ineffective. Emerging research underscores the need for tailored surveillance strategies that address the ecological drivers of rodent‑borne diseases rather than relying on digital tools designed for respiratory pathogens. ## Key Takeaways - **Transmission pathway diverges:** Hantavirus is primarily contracted through exposure to contaminated rodent excreta, not through close human contact. - **Proximity alerts lose utility:** Apps that signal nearby infected individuals provide little actionable data for preventing hantavirus exposure. - **Environmental monitoring is critical:** Effective control hinges on rodent population management, habitat sanitation, and public education on safe practices in endemic regions. - **Technology must adapt:** Future digital interventions should integrate wildlife surveillance, geographic risk mapping, and real‑time reporting of rodent activity. - **Policy implications:** Public‑health frameworks need distinct protocols for zoonotic diseases with non‑respiratory transmission vectors. #Hantavirus #PublicHealth #ContactTracing #Epidemiology #RodentBorne #DiseaseControl #InfectiousDisease #HealthTech #PandemicLessons #newsababil360 [Read Full Article](https://news.ababil360.com/why-contact-tracing-apps-miss-the-mark-for-hantavirus-control/)
