WANA (May 13) – According to Iran’s Deputy Minister of Health, no cases of Hantavirus have been identified in Iran so far, and the likelihood of a widespread outbreak is considered very low.

 

The Deputy Minister of Health of Iran stated that hantavirus is not a new virus. In the past, it has been associated with fever and kidney failure, mainly in Europe and Asia. However, the currently discussed strain is primarily found in South America and can affect the lungs and heart.

 

He added that there is no specific vaccine or targeted treatment for the virus, and care is mainly supportive. According to him, about 99.9% of hantavirus infections are transmitted from rodents to humans through contact with their droppings.

 

The incubation period of the disease ranges from one to eight weeks, meaning an infected individual may not show symptoms for up to two months. In this context, a recent outbreak aboard a cruise ship en route to the Canary Islands is under investigation, with authorities suspecting either the presence of rodents on the vessel or prior infections acquired before boarding.

 

The official also noted that in rare cases, close human-to-human contact may lead to transmission, although the probability remains very low.

 

Regarding the newly identified strain, he emphasized that it has a mortality rate of around 50%. However, diseases with such high fatality rates generally have a lower chance of causing large-scale pandemics, as they do not spread easily enough to sustain widespread transmission.

 

Finally, citing the World Health Organization, the Deputy Minister of Health of Iran confirmed that the risk of a global outbreak remains very low, and no cases have been reported in Iran to date.