Foreign National in Indonesia Who Contacted Infected Cruise Ship Passenger Tests Negative for Hantavirus

The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has stated that the examination results for a foreign national (WNA) living in Indonesia who had close contact with a passenger infected with Hanta Virus or Hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius are negative.

Acting Director General of Disease Control and Prevention at Kemenkes, Andi Saguni, stated during an online press conference attended in Jakarta on Monday that on 7 May 2026 at 21:55 WIB, Indonesia received a notification from the International Health Regulation (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) indicating that a male foreign national with initials KE (60), residing in Central Jakarta, had close contact with the victim.

“He is a close contact of the second case (a 69-year-old woman who died) and was on the same flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg. KE is asymptomatic but has uncontrolled comorbid hypertension and a history of vaping (e-cigarettes). However, based on laboratory results, the patient has been declared negative for Hantavirus,” he said.

Nevertheless, Andi emphasised that monitoring of the patient will continue strictly, and the individual is currently still at Sulianti Saroso Hospital for Infectious Diseases (RSPI).

He added that Kemenkes responded quickly to the case on 8 May 2026 at 10:00 WIB and immediately conducted epidemiological investigations, travel history tracing, and health examinations.

“Within less than 24 hours since the notification, the investigation was carried out. The patient’s condition is healthy with no worrying symptoms; observation continues so that the patient can return to their residence for further prevention,” Andi said.

He emphasised that health workers at the Senen Sub-district Community Health Centre (Puskesmas) will also continue to monitor the close contact patient.

“In accordance with WHO guidelines for isolating close contacts, quarantine and active daily monitoring must be carried out; close contacts are advised to work from home (WFH) and report to health workers if symptoms appear,” he stated.

Andi also urged the public to remain vigilant, noting that in the global cluster according to WHO reports, three people died from cases on the cruise ship, with a case fatality rate of 37.5 per cent.

The Hantavirus transmission case originated from an acute respiratory illness cluster on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which sailed across the Atlantic and Africa. The identified virus is Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) from the Andes strain, known for its high mortality rate and transmission through rodent exposure.