Riau Confirms No Hantavirus Cases in Province

Riau Provincial Government confirms no hantavirus cases have been found in the province. ‘There have been no reports of hantavirus in Riau to date,’ said Riau Health Department Head Zulkifli on Sunday (24 May). He explained that the department is currently awaiting central government guidelines for handling suspected cases. ‘This virus is classified as infectious, so we must wait for a circular from the Ministry of Health regarding preventive, curative, and rehabilitative measures,’ he stated. He urged the public to maintain clean and healthy living habits as an initial step to prevent the virus’s spread. ‘Transmission occurs via rats; therefore, the public is advised to practice PHBS (clean and healthy living behaviour), including personal and environmental hygiene and avoiding direct contact with rats and their excreta,’ he added. The public is also instructed to store food in sealed containers and seek medical attention immediately if experiencing symptoms such as fever, body aches, cough, or shortness of breath. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ministry of Health (MoH) confirmed no cases of hanta pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in Indonesia, unlike those found on the MV Hondius cruise ship. Acting Director General of Disease Control at the MoH, Andi Saguni, stated that confirmed cases in Indonesia are of the haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) type with Seoul Virus strain. ‘We must clarify that no HPS cases have been detected in Indonesia. The detected cases are HFRS type and are continuously monitored through the national surveillance system,’ he said. According to MoH data, between 2024 and 2026, 256 suspected cases were recorded, with 23 confirmed HFRS cases in several regions including Jakarta, West Java, Yogyakarta, North Sulawesi, West Sumatra, and East Nusa Tenggara. He noted that confirmed cases peaked in 2025 with 17 cases, followed by one in 2024 and five up to May 2026.