IDAI Considers Measles More Pressing Concern Than Hantavirus

The Indonesian Paediatric Society (IDAI) states that hantavirus is not an urgent threat to Indonesian society. According to Prof Dr Dominicus Husada, a member of IDAI’s Tropical Infectious Diseases Coordinating Unit, Indonesia should instead be more vigilant about measles, which continues to be a public health issue. “Measles has not been fully addressed from 2-3 years ago until today. This concerns me. So, in my opinion, we do not need to focus on things out there while our own house is on fire,” said the Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Airlangga University during IDAI’s virtual discussion on Friday (8/5/2026). Measles cases in Indonesia surged sharply at the beginning of the year. The peak occurred in the first week with 2,932 suspects and 2,220 confirmed measles cases. However, after the third week, the weekly case trend began to decline gradually. In week 12, the number of suspects dropped to 211 cases and confirmed measles cases to 146, according to the Ministry of Health report as of 30 March 2026. Prof Dominicus explained that hantavirus, particularly the Andes strain spreading on a cruise ship, does not spread massively or rapidly like COVID-19. Hantavirus is generally transmitted between humans through the respiratory tract with close contact. She explained that close contact includes interactions between playmates, work colleagues in the same office room, classmates at school, and family members in the same household. “So, truly people in close contact. Like on that cruise ship, the initial patients were husband and wife. If just passing by, I think it won’t be transmitted; the possibility is small,” she said.