Lestari Moerdijat Warns of Hantavirus in Indonesia, 23 Cases Recorded
Member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Lestari Moerdijat, emphasized the importance of building public awareness to anticipate the potential spread of Hantavirus in Indonesia. She believes that collective vigilance is key to preventing the threat of the disease early on.
Based on collected data, Lestari revealed that from 2024 to 2026, 23 confirmed cases of Hantavirus have been recorded in Indonesia, with three resulting in fatalities. She also reminded that the World Health Organization has included Hantavirus as one of the diseases that needs to be monitored globally.
Based on this, she encouraged the government and all stakeholders to strengthen public education and socialization regarding the risks and prevention of Hantavirus.
“The government, through the Ministry of Health, has taken concrete steps in anticipating the threat of Hantavirus. However, public concerns need to be addressed with joint efforts so that it does not develop into panic,” said Lestari in a statement on Friday (15/5).
She added that prevention efforts do not only depend on the government, but also require good public understanding of mitigation steps and actions that must be taken if exposed.
“This understanding is important so that the potential threat can be managed together as part of increasing vigilance and preventing the spread of Hantavirus in Indonesia,” she continued.
Meanwhile, data from the Ministry of Health records that there are 256 suspected cases of Hantavirus in the period from 2024 to May 2026. Of this number, 23 cases have been confirmed positive.
Although the number of positive cases is relatively small, experts believe that the potential for its spread still needs to be watched out for because the symptoms are often not specific. In many cases, Hantavirus can resemble other diseases such as leptospirosis or dengue hemorrhagic fever, which are also related to exposure to rodents as the main reservoir.
The Ministry of Health also reported that 12 of the 23 positive cases were found in the Jakarta and Yogyakarta areas. This finding indicates that infections not only occur in remote areas, but also occur in urban areas with high population density.
This condition increases attention to the potential for transmission, especially in environments that have close human and rodent interactions. In several countries, especially in North America, Hantavirus is known to have a pattern of transmission from rodents to humans that can develop in certain environments with high risk.
With this situation, Hantavirus is a reminder that the threat of zoonotic diseases remains relevant in the midst of urbanization and rapid urban development in Indonesia. (Fik/P-3)