PUTRAJAYA, May 12 — The Health Ministry (MOH) will add a hantavirus tracker to the MySejahtera app's Disease Tracker feature if the need arises, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib.
The enhancement will enable users to access real-time information about the disease more easily, while the ministry continues to monitor the situation.
"We hope the situation remains under control and subsides. Based on our experience after COVID-19, we must remain highly vigilant and do not want hantavirus to spread further," she told the media after attending the national-level International Nurses Day celebration today.
Hanifah was responding to a question on whether the MOH plans to include hantavirus in the Disease Tracker feature, which provides users with real-time information on nearby infection hotspots.
The Disease Tracker currently includes dengue, tuberculosis, measles, hand, foot and mouth disease, COVID-19, human rabies, and animal rabies.
She added that although three deaths and several infections have been reported overseas, the situation remains under control and there are no indications of the virus spreading to Asia.
"Through close coordination with the World Health Organisation and related agencies, we have found that the situation remains under control in the affected Western countries. At this point, Alhamdulillah (God be praised), it is under control," Hanifah said.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad recently said that the MOH would continue to closely monitor global and regional developments to ensure Malaysia's border preparedness and healthcare system remain at the highest level of readiness.
Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus that can infect humans through air contaminated with rat droppings, urine or saliva. Several European countries have intensified their monitoring and isolation measures following an outbreak linked to the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius.
