IHP: There are currently no registered cases of hantavirus in Macedonia

PHI: There are currently no registered cases of hantavirus in Macedonia

“At the moment, there are no registered cases, passengers or close contacts linked to the Republic of North Macedonia, nor is there any indication of a public health risk in the country,” informs the Institute of Public Health, following the situation related to the reported clusters of hantavirus infection cases linked to the voyage of the MV Hondius cruise ship in the South Atlantic Ocean region.

According to information published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the national health authorities of the affected countries, 8 confirmed and suspected cases have been recorded so far among passengers and crew members, including 3 deaths. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory investigations are ongoing, and international health institutions are conducting a coordinated investigation with the aim of determining the source of infection, the possible route of exposure and assessing the risk.

“According to the currently available information, exposure is most likely related to activities and residence in areas where there is a natural presence of rodents, natural reservoirs of hantaviruses. Additional analysis is underway to determine the exact type of virus and possible factors that contributed to the emergence of the cluster,” the IHP informs.

Hantaviruses are a group of zoonotic viruses that circulate in various species of rodents. Humans are most commonly infected through inhalation of aerosols contaminated with urine, feces, or secretions from infected rodents, as well as through direct contact with contaminated surfaces.