CYBERJAYA, May 10 — The country is on full alert to face the threat of hantavirus infection, although no cases involving Malaysians have been recorded thus far.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the approach is crucial as public health challenges are now global in nature, and no country is truly safe without continuous precautionary measures.
“We do not want to be an alarmist, but at the same time, we do not want the people to be complacent by saying that this is happening elsewhere (abroad),” he told the media after attending the closing ceremony of the National Tobacco Control Conference and Lung Health Summit 2026 today.
Dr Dzulkefly added that the Health Ministry’s Institute for Medical Research has the capacity to diagnose hantavirus using polymerase chain reaction, the gold standard for disease detection.
Border control measures at all international entry points have also been tightened through health screenings and heightened preparedness by the International Entry Point Health Office at airports, seaports, and major gateways.
As part of ongoing preventive measures, he said that to date, 22,367 ships and boats have been inspected at Malaysia’s entry points, with 2,421 pratique certificates and 1,146 Ship Sanitation Certificates issued.
“These measures are ongoing to ensure that vessels entering the country comply with public health requirements and sanitation,” Dr Dzulkefly said.
A pratique certificate is an official health clearance issued by port authorities that allows a vessel to enter port, disembark passengers, and operate after being confirmed free of infectious diseases on board.
Previously, the minister said that hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus that can infect humans through air contaminated with animal droppings, urine, or saliva.
He noted that the virus should not be taken lightly, as its complications can be fatal, with the mortality rate for Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome reaching 30 to 40 per cent.
International media had earlier reported that European countries have stepped up monitoring and isolation measures following a hantavirus outbreak linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius.
