Urgent Measures Needed as Hantavirus Outbreak Raises Global Concerns

A fresh global health concern has emerged following an outbreak of hantavirus disease. In early May, a rare cluster of Andes hantavirus infections was identified aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius during a voyage from Argentina toward Cape Verde.

The virus has claimed three lives, with between five and eight confirmed cases. Among the dead were a 69-year-old Dutch woman and her husband. Authorities across several countries are now searching for about 40 passengers who disembarked from the vessel at different points along its route. The ship was carrying approximately 150 passengers and crew from 28 nations.

Hantaviruses are a family of rodent-borne viruses that can cause severe, often fatal respiratory or kidney disease in humans. Though relatively rare, some strains carry fatality rates of up to 50 percent. The principal route of infection is through inhaling virus particles from dried rodent urine, saliva or droppings that become airborne.

Health experts warn that sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings or nests can release virus particles into the air. The incubation period typically ranges from one to eight weeks after exposure.

Symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, and gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In severe cases, the illness may progress to high fever, abdominal and back pain, facial flushing, vision problems, low blood pressure, internal bleeding and acute kidney failure. At present, there is no specific cure, vaccine or antiviral treatment for hantavirus.

Nigeria is no stranger to rodent-borne diseases. Since the 1960s, the country has battled Lassa fever, which has caused many deaths. This year alone, Lassa fever has already claimed 170 lives in Nigeria.

In response to the hantavirus threat, health experts are urging the Nigerian government to act proactively. Surveillance at international gateways should be strengthened to identify and isolate any potential carriers entering the country. Public education campaigns must also be intensified to raise awareness about the dangers of rodent exposure and unsafe hygiene practices.

Countries around the world are adopting multi-layered strategies combining disease surveillance, environmental sanitation, rodent control and public sensitisation on hygiene. Health authorities have been coordinating international efforts to trace the origin and possible spread of the virus.

People in rural communities are being advised to practice safe handling of food and avoid contact with rodents and their waste. Rodent droppings should be sprayed with disinfectants before being cleared to minimise the risk of airborne infection.

Public health campaigns on sealing holes and crevices through which rodents gain access to homes, schools and public buildings are also being encouraged alongside improved waste management systems.