WHO reassures public on Hantavirus, says no cause for panic

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reassured the public that there is no need for panic over hantavirus, stressing that available evidence shows the infection is not easily spread between humans in everyday settings.

The clarification follows global concern over a small cluster of cases linked to travel on a cruise ship.

According to WHO epidemiologist Dr Boris Pavlin, the virus behaves very differently from airborne diseases like COVID-19.

“This Andes hantavirus has spread in limited amount from human to human, this is not COVID, this is not passing someone in a hallway in an airport outside at a stadium and getting infected,” he said.

He explained that investigations strongly suggest rodents are the main source of infection.

“There’s absolutely every reason to believe that this came from rodents,” Pavlin added, noting that the origin is linked to areas in northern Argentina and Chile where the long-tailed rice rat, a known carrier of the virus, is common.

He also confirmed that some of the affected individuals had recently travelled through those regions, reinforcing the likelihood of environmental exposure rather than community spread.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also weighed in, saying while public concern is understandable, the risk level remains low.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said Nigeria has not recorded any case of hantavirus and is closely monitoring global developments.

In a public advisory, the agency noted that it is maintaining surveillance for emerging infectious diseases while reassuring Nigerians that the current situation poses minimal risk to the general population.

Health experts explained that hantaviruses are typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents or exposure to their droppings, urine, saliva, or contaminated dust particles.

They added that early symptoms may include fever, headache, dizziness, chills, and gastrointestinal discomfort, stressing that early medical attention improves outcomes.

Authorities continue to urge basic preventive measures such as keeping homes rodent-free, proper food storage, and avoiding contact with areas where rodent infestation is suspected.