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

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Published Jul 13, 2026
https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v104i05.6989
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Vol. 104 No. 05 (2026): Tunis Med May 2026

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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

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

  1. World Health Organization. Hantavirus cluster linked to cruise ship travel, Multi-country. Disease Outbreak News. Geneva: WHO;
  2. May 2026. Link: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease- outbreak-news/item/2026-DON599 (Last visit: May 18, 2026).
  3. World Health Organization. WHO's response to hantavirus cases linked to a cruise ship. Geneva: WHO; 7 May 2026. Link: https://
  4. www.who.int/news/item/07-05-2026-who-s-response-to-hantavirus-cases-linked-to-a-cruise-ship (Last visit: May 18, 2026).
  5. Afzal S, Ali L, Batool A, Afzal M, Kanwal N, Hassan M, et al. Hantavirus: an overview and advancements in therapeutic
  6. approaches for infection. Front Microbiol. 2023;14:1233433.
  7. Martinez VP, Di Paola N, Alonso DO, Perez-Sautu U, Bellomo CM, Iglesias AA, et al. "Super-Spreaders" and person-to-
  8. person transmission of Andes virus in Argentina. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(23):2230-41.
  9. Dergaa I, Ben Saad H, Souissi A, Musa S, Abdulmalik MA, Chamari K. Olympic Games in COVID-19 times: lessons learned with special
  10. focus on the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Br J Sports Med. 2022;56(12):654-6.
  11. Dergaa I, Ben Saad H, Zmijewski P, Farhat RA, Romdhani M, Souissi A, et al. Large-scale sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic:
  12. 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.
  13. Williams CJ, Schenkel K, Eckmanns T, Altmann D, Krause G. FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany: enhanced surveillance improved
  14. timeliness and detection. Epidemiol Infect. 2009;137(4):597-605.
  15. Dergaa I, Zakhama L, Dziri C, Ben Saad H. Enhancing scholarly discourse in the age of artificial intelligence: A guided approach to
  16. effective peer review process. Tunis Med. 2023;101(10):721-6.