A string of hantavirus-linked cases reported in Indonesia has sparked fears that the potentially lethal virus could be spreading undetected, with health experts citing widespread rodent exposure and poor sanitation as major risks that could lead to a further spike.
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Eight cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), one of the diseases caused by the hantavirus, have been confirmed across four provinces – Yogyakarta, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara and North Sulawesi – as of June 19, according to a statement released by the health ministry on Saturday. All patients infected with HFRS have since recovered.
While there is no need for public alarm at this stage, health experts recommend strengthening disease surveillance and ramping up public education efforts, noting that the virus could be silently spreading in high-risk areas.
What is hantavirus?
According to the Indonesian health ministry, hantavirus-linked diseases are transmitted by animals. “This disease is transmitted through direct contact with rodents, and based on existing research, there has been no human-to-human transmission.”
HFRS, the disease detected in Indonesia, primarily affects the kidneys and has been reported elsewhere in Asia and Europe. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), the other common disease caused by the virus, affects the lungs and is more prevalent in the Americas.
HPS recently hit the headlines when it was reported that Betsy Arakawa, the wife of the late Hollywood actor Gene Hackman, had succumbed to the disease after she was found dead alongside her husband at the American couple’s home in New Mexico in February this year.
It was believed that the couple’s home had been infested with rats and rat droppings after police found rodent nests on the property.