Residents of South Tangerang City are urged to be aware of the risk of exposure to Hantavirus disease.
This follows the issuance of Circular Number: SR.03.02/C/2572/2026 on Awareness of Hanta Virus Disease by the Ministry of Health.
The Head of the South Tangerang City Health Office stated that so far there have been no findings or reports of Hantavirus cases in South Tangerang City.
“Based on monitoring data through the Early Warning and Response System (EWARS) and surveillance of emerging infectious diseases, no Hantavirus cases have been found in South Tangerang City to date,” he said on Friday, May 15, 2025.
He explained that Hantavirus is a zoonotic disease caused by Orthohantavirus, transmitted from rats and shrews.
The virus can be transmitted through body fluids, including urine, feces, saliva, and contaminated dust.
“Clinically, this disease can manifest in two main forms: Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), with symptoms ranging from fever, muscle pain, to severe respiratory distress,” he explained.
He asked residents of South Tangerang City to increase vigilance against Hantavirus transmission.
This is because, based on the latest global reports, a cluster of HPS-type Hantavirus cases has been found on an international cruise ship, potentially causing cross-border spread.
In Indonesia, HFRS-type Hantavirus cases have been reported in several provinces from 2024 to 2026. Meanwhile, the HPS type has not been reported yet, but it remains a potential imported case.
Therefore, he said, his office is strengthening vigilance through enhanced indicator-based surveillance and Event-Based Surveillance via EWARS to monitor trends in ARI cases, pneumonia, Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), and fever syndromes with non-specific symptoms.
“We are also improving early detection at community health centers and hospitals through an emerging infectious disease surveillance approach, as well as cross-program and cross-sector coordination in disease outbreak preparedness,” he said.
Furthermore, the South Tangerang City Health Office is also alerting health service facilities, both hospitals and community health centers, to conduct early detection, initial management, and patient stabilization.
In addition, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures are being implemented, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers.
The Health Office is also preparing temporary isolation rooms in health service facilities, strengthening the referral system to emerging infectious disease referral hospitals according to Ministry of Health regulations, and coordinating with reference laboratories for specimen examination according to biosafety standards.
He urged the people of South Tangerang City to remain calm and increase vigilance by adopting a clean and healthy lifestyle, such as washing hands with soap or hand sanitizer, practicing cough and sneeze etiquette, maintaining body immunity, controlling comorbidities, and wearing masks when experiencing symptoms of illness.
“The public is also asked to avoid contact with rats or shrews and their droppings, close off rodent access to homes, and maintain environmental cleanliness by cleaning using the wet mopping method if traces of rats are found,” he concluded.
He also reminded international travelers to comply with health advisories in destination countries and follow official information through Ministry of Health channels.
