Legislator Urges Indonesia to Be Wary of Hantavirus: Do Not Consider It a Distant Threat or Rare Disease

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives’ Commission IX, Edy Wuryanto, has urged the government and society to increase vigilance against hantavirus, including in Indonesia. He called for the disease not to be taken lightly by assuming it is a distant threat and a rare illness, because cases are numerous in South America. “We must not regard hantavirus as a distant threat or a rare disease that is irrelevant to Indonesia,” said Edy, in a press release on Sunday (10/5/2026). He made this statement amid the spread of cases on the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which has now heightened global attention. “The incident on the MV Hondius must serve as an alarm for all countries, including Indonesia,” he stated. According to Edy, Indonesia actually has substantial risk factors due to population density, rapid urbanisation, environmental sanitation issues, and the high rodent population in residential areas. Data from the Ministry of Health shows that in the last three years, Indonesia has recorded at least 23 cases of hantavirus of the Seoul Virus type with manifestations of Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). Twenty patients were declared recovered, while the other three passed away with histories of comorbidities such as liver cancer and multi-organ failure. He acknowledged that there is indeed a difference between the Andes and Seoul Virus found in Indonesia. The Andes virus is known to cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe infection that attacks the lungs and triggers acute shortness of breath up to respiratory failure. This virus has a higher fatality rate and is the only type of hantavirus known so far to be transmissible between humans. In general, hantavirus is a disease transmitted from animals to humans (zoonosis), particularly through rodents as the main infectious agent of the virus. Transmission can occur when a person inhales air contaminated with particles of rodent urine, faeces, or saliva.