Kuala lumpur: Malaysia is on full alert to face the threat of hantavirus infection, although no cases involving Malaysians have been recorded thus far. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad emphasized the importance of this proactive approach, highlighting that public health challenges are global, necessitating continuous precautionary measures.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Dzulkefly remarked on the need to avoid complacency among the public, stressing that the issue should not be dismissed as a foreign concern. He made these comments during the closing ceremony of the National Tobacco Control Conference and Lung Health Summit 2026. He assured that Malaysia's Health Ministry's Institute for Medical Research (IMR) is equipped with PCR technology, the gold standard for detecting diseases like hantavirus.
Border control measures have been strengthened, with health screenings intensified at all international entry points. Airports, seaports, and other major gateways are under heightened vigilance by the International Entry Point Health Office to prevent the virus from entering the country.
Dr Dzulkefly noted that as part of ongoing preventive efforts, a total of 22,367 ships and boats have been inspected at Malaysia's entry points. As a result, 2,421 pratique certificates and 1,146 Ship Sanitation Certificates (SSC) have been issued. These measures ensure that incoming vessels comply with public health and sanitation requirements.
A pratique certificate is crucial as it allows vessels to enter port, disembark passengers, and operate after being confirmed free of infectious diseases. Dr Dzulkefly reiterated that hantavirus is transmitted from rodents to humans through air contaminated by animal droppings, urine, or saliva. The virus has a high mortality rate, with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) reaching 30 to 40 percent.
International media recently reported that European countries are enhancing monitoring and isolation measures following a hantavirus outbreak linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius.