Ministry of Health Warns Public Not to Fall for Hantavirus Pandemic Conspiracy Theories

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has reminded the public not to be swayed by conspiracy theories about Hantavirus as a new pandemic threat deliberately created for commercial interests, such as vaccine sales.

“What is equally important is how this is understood by the public. Do not let the news conveyed be hoaxes or disinformation,” said Acting Director General for Disease Control and Prevention at the Ministry of Health, Andi Saguni, during a press conference on Monday (11/5/2026).

Andi explained that cases of Hantavirus type Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) in Indonesia have been reported since 1991.

“That means it has been around for quite some time compared to the issues that tend to arise recently,” said Andi.

“Communication risk is important. When we issue a circular to all district health offices and health facilities, that is at the technical level,” he stated.

He noted that maintaining cleanliness and environmental health is a crucial factor in preventing the transmission of Hantavirus, whose source of infection comes from rodents.

“So, environmental cleanliness is very much related to the presence of secretions or excretions from rodents because the rodents are there,” he said.

“Do not let it be that during floods, people treat floodwater like a giant swimming pool, when in fact it poses a risk of several infectious diseases, one of which is Hantavirus,” he added.