Indonesia reports 2 suspected hantavirus cases

Indonesia reports 2 suspected hantavirus cases

Health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the government had coordinated with the WHO to strengthen screening and early detection.

This handout picture released by Argentina's Health Ministry shows a scientist from the Malbrán Institute holding a container used to diagnose the Andes hantavirus, which contains RNA from the Andes virus as part of the detection process, in Buenos Aires on May 6, 2026. Argentina has seen an increase in hantavirus cases but not an outbreak, an expert told AFP on May 6, as infections aboard a cruise ship have provoked a global health scare. The MV Hondius set sail from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on April 1 and is currently anchored off the coast of Cape Verde after three passengers died, possibly of hantavirus.
Indonesia’s health ministry said the two suspected cases are currently undergoing confirmation. (AFP pic)
JAKARTA:
Indonesia has reported two suspected hantavirus cases in Jakarta and Yogyakarta amid concerns over an outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, the country’s health ministry said on Friday, reported Xinhua.

“Two suspected cases are currently undergoing confirmation,” said Aji Muhawarman, head of the ministry’s communication and public information bureau.

Indonesia recorded 23 confirmed cases between 2024 and 2026, with three deaths, he said.

Health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the government had coordinated with the World Health Organization to strengthen screening and early detection.

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