Hantavirus from the Hondius: a global trail
The ship MV Hondius sailed out of Ushuaia, Argentina, after the Antarctic season (April 1, 2026), and during the crossing of the South Atlantic several passengers became infected with the Andes virus — a type of hantavirus for which the CDC describes possible human-to-human transmission, especially with close or prolonged contact. aktuality.sk ↗ On May 13, Argentine authorities sent a team of scientists to Ushuaia to search for the source, and denik.cz noted that the source may not be in Tierra del Fuego. denik.cz ↗ On May 13, according to Blesk, the WHO chief urged Europe to prepare for a higher number of infections. Blesk ↗ On May 17, a preliminarily positive test was added for a Canadian passenger — definitive confirmation from the national laboratory was still pending. denik.cz ↗The Slovak context was clarified by virologist Boris Klempa (Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences) and infectious disease specialist Peter Sabaka — the Andes virus is exceptional in its possibility of human-to-human transmission, but it fundamentally differs from coronavirus in its short incubation period and limited chain transmission. STVR ↗ Refresher reiterated that the Andes virus has not yet been confirmed in Slovakia. Refresher ↗ idnes.cz added the story of a man after recovering from hantavirus infection — he still feels fatigue and pain even years later. idnes.cz ↗
A doctor earning a million a month and a nursing crisis
On May 15, Pravda analyzed the March report by the NKÚ — nearly 3,000 doctors work concurrently at three or more places, and in the most extreme case, one doctor at a regional hospital drew, according to the NKÚ, monthly income "approaching seven-figure amounts" — around one million euros — from both domestic and foreign companies. pravda.sk ↗ In that same system, nurses have a gross salary of between 1,100 and 3,100 euros, and Slovakia has 5.7 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, while in the Czech Republic it is 8.7 and in Austria 10.5.The government's memorandum with LOZ (the Slovak Nurses and Midwives Union) from December 2024 promised an in-depth audit of state hospitals. Health Minister Kamil Šaško, according to Pravda, stated that he does not want to blanketly favor doctors with multiple jobs. The debate over what to do about the thousands of missing nurses and the million-euro "side jobs" has flared up again following the NKÚ report.
Hospitals live: the concrete holds up, but Prešov pathology still creaks
On May 15, Health Minister Kamil Šaško and Education Minister Tomáš Drucker (who is also entrusted with running the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for the Recovery Plan) jointly inspected the construction of hospitals in Martin and Banská Bystrica — according to them, both projects are progressing on schedule, including the quality of the concrete. pravda.sk ↗ The shell construction of the Martin hospital is to be completed in June. teraz.sk ↗ The Rooseveltova Hospital in Banská Bystrica received a new statutory body. teraz.sk ↗The picture at the Prešov hospital is worse — the scandal of the undignified storage of bodies in the pathology department (bodies between boards and plastic sheeting) is from last week, and according to SME, management still has not given a complete explanation. sme.sk ↗ On May 15, a consortium of companies announced that it wants to see the Prešov hospital project through to completion despite this. startitup.sk ↗
Heart rescue plan
On May 17, SITA reported that the state, together with medical associations, is launching a plan to protect against cardiovascular disease — which it says has long been the most common cause of death in Slovakia. SITA ↗ Denník N, the same week, recalled doctors' warning that calcium, not just fat, can build up in the blood vessels — a new perspective on heart attack risk. Denník N ↗Under the radar
The silent epidemic of insomnia. On May 16, zdravie.pravda.sk cited a survey according to which every second Slovak reaches for medication due to lack of sleep. Hypnotics are among the most frequently prescribed drugs in Slovakia, and the risk of addiction is growing especially among women over 50. zdravie.pravda.sk ↗Microwave ablation at the Košice oncology institute. According to SITA, the East Slovak Oncology Institute performed microwave ablation for the first time — a minimally invasive procedure that targets and destroys tumor tissue with heat. The procedures were performed by chief physician Peter Šmirják in cooperation with oncoradiologist Ivan Uhrín from the National Oncology Institute. SITA ↗
WHO Ebola — a public health emergency. Teraz.sk reported on May 17 that the WHO declared a public health emergency related to the Ebola virus (PHEIC, Public Health Emergency of International Concern) — a new alert independent of the hantavirus case. teraz.sk ↗
WHO on nicotine pouches. STVR reported on May 16 that the WHO is calling for stricter regulation of nicotine pouches, which are also popular among young Slovaks. STVR ↗
Young Slovaks are postponing parenthood. SITA cited fear of the future and of personal failure on May 16 as key reasons. The demographic topic is quietly linked to mental health — in the Czech Republic, according to irozhlas.cz, every third ninth-grader suffers from anxiety, and school principals say it is "physically impossible to find" a psychologist. SITA ↗ irozhlas.cz ↗
Australia — patients of a certain dentist advised to get tested for HIV. Novinky reported on May 16 that authorities warned patients of a specific dentist about the risk of HIV and hepatitis infection. This is a singular incident, not a systemic alert. novinky.cz ↗
What hotinfo is watching
- Andes hantavirus — how many more Hondius passengers will be confirmed, whether Europe will heed the WHO's warning, and whether secondary transmissions will emerge outside South America.
- Audit of state hospitals — what consequences it will have for doctors with multiple jobs and whether the gap between doctors' and nurses' salaries will narrow.
- Hospital construction — the shell construction in Martin due in June, and developments on the Prešov project following the pathology scandal.
- Cardiovascular disease plan — concrete measures, not just declarations.
- WHO Ebola — developments in Africa and the risk of spread beyond the region.
- Mental health of young people — whether Slovakia will follow the Czech Republic's lead and begin addressing school psychology in its budget.
