Tag: Hantavirus

WHO Chief Says No New Deaths Reported In Hantavirus Outbreak Since May 2

GENEVA, May 14 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Wednesday that no new deaths from the cruise-ship-linked hantavirus outbreak have been reported since May 2, while the global public health risk remains low. Anadolu Ajansi repoted WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X that a total of 11 cases have so far been reported to the agency as of May 12. According to Tedros, eight of those cases have been laboratory-confirmed as infections caused by the Andes virus. Hantavirus is a rare disease usually transmitted through infected rodents or their droppings, though the strain responsible for this outbreak, the Andes virus, can also spread between humans with prolonged close contact, often in enclosed settings. He added that one additional case remains under further laboratory testing. “WHO continues to assess the risk to the global population as low,” Tedros said. The WHO chief also said the agency remains in close contact with experts from all involved countries and continues to receive weekly health reports concerning passengers and crew through official International Health Regulations channels. Tedros said international coordination efforts remain ongoing to support measures aimed at protecting public health. -- BERNAMA-ANADOLU

GENEVA, May 14 — The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Wednesday that no new deaths from the cruise-ship-linked hantavirus outbreak have been reported since May 2, while the global public health risk remains low. Anadolu Ajansi repoted WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X that a total of 11 cases have […]

MySejahtera to be improved with “Disease Tracker” for hantavirus outbreak

PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will improve the MySejahtera application by providing a hantavirus outbreak tracker through the Disease Tracker menu on the application's dashboard if needed in the future, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib. He said the move was to enable users to obtain the latest information regarding the detection of infectious diseases more easily in real time. "For now, we will see and monitor as much as we can. If necessary, God willing, we will ensure (the detection of hantavirus infection) is included in the MySejahtera application." "We hope this matter is under control and will subside because perhaps in terms of experience after COVID-19, we should be more vigilant and we don't want hantavirus to spread anywhere," he said after attending the National Level International Nurses Day Celebration 2026 here today. He said this when asked to comment on whether the Ministry of Health would improve the MySejahtera application by adding hantavirus to the list of diseases that can be monitored through the Disease Tracker menu on the MySejahtera application dashboard, to empower users with access to information on infection hotspots in their surrounding areas in real time. The list of existing outbreaks on the Disease Tracker menu are dengue, tuberculosis (TB), measles, hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), COVID-19, human rabies and animal rabies. He said that although there were three deaths and several infections, for now the situation appears to be under control and involves Western countries and has not shown any indication of spread to Asia. "With close contact with the WHO (World Health Organization) and related organizations, we found that this matter is still under control in the Western countries involved. At present, thank God, it is under control," he said. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad was recently reported to have said that the Ministry of Health will continue to closely monitor the development of this outbreak at the global and regional levels to ensure that border preparedness and the country's health system are at the highest level. Previously, Dzulkefly said hantavirus is a rat-borne virus that can infect humans through air contaminated with the animal's feces, urine or saliva. International media reported that European countries are increasing monitoring and isolation measures after a hantavirus outbreak linked to a Dutch cruise ship, MV Hondius. -- BERNAMA

PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will improve the MySejahtera application by providing a hantavirus outbreak tracker through the Disease Tracker menu on the application’s dashboard if needed in the future, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib. He said the move was to enable users to obtain the latest information regarding the detection […]

Hantavirus-Hit Ship Expected In Canaries On Sunday: Spanish Health Minister

MADRID, May 9 2026 – Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said on Saturday that the cruise ship MV Hondius is expected to arrive at the port of Granadilla on the Spanish island of Tenerife between 4 am and 6 am local time (0300-0500 GMT) on Sunday, as authorities continue to monitor a hantavirus outbreak linked […]