Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) has caused only 890 confirmed cases in the United States over three decades, yet media coverage suggests an imminent crisis. The case fatality rate of approximately 35% is severe, but the disease remains extraordinarily rare, with 94% of cases occurring west of the Mississippi River. Post-COVID-19 institutional patterns have created a culture of alarmism where rare pathogens are framed as existential threats. Public health communication has shifted from proportional risk assessment to emotional manipulation, eroding institutional credibility. The real lesson involves society’s inability to distinguish between rare but serious diseases and widespread public health emergencies. A…

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