JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) stated that the results of the examination of Foreign Nationals (WNA) who live in Indonesia and have close contact with passengers infected with the Hanta Virus or Hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship were negative.
Acting Director General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health Andi Saguni explained that on May 7, 2026 at 21.55 WIB, Indonesia received a notification from the International Health Regulation (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) stating that a male foreign national with the initials KE (60) who resides in Central Jakarta had close contact with the victim.
"He is a close contact of the second case (a 69-year-old woman, who died) and was on the same flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg. The patient has no symptoms, but has uncontrolled hypertension and a history of vaping (e-cigarettes). However, based on laboratory results, the patient was negative for Hantavirus," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, May 11.
However, Andi emphasized that patient monitoring was still carried out strictly and currently the person concerned was still at the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital (RSPI).
He added that the Ministry of Health had responded quickly to the case on May 8, 2026 at 10.00 WIB and immediately conducted epidemiological investigations, tracking travel history, and health examinations.
"Within less than 24 hours of the notification, an investigation has been carried out. The patient is healthy and has no worrying symptoms, observations are still being carried out so that the patient can return to his residence for further prevention," said Andi.
He emphasized that officers at the Senen District Health Center would also monitor the patients who were in close contact on an ongoing basis.
"According to the provisions of the World Health Organization (WHO) for close contact isolation, quarantine and active monitoring must be carried out every day, preferably close contacts working from home or Work From Home (WFH) and reporting to health officials if there are symptoms," he said.
Andi also stated that the public should continue to increase vigilance, considering that in the global cluster based on the WHO report, three people died from cases on the cruise ship, with a fatality rate or case fatality rate of 37.5 percent.
The case of Hantavirus transmission began with a cluster of acute respiratory illness on the MV Hondius cruise ship that sailed across the Atlantic and Africa. The virus identified was Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) from the Andes strain, which is known to have a high mortality rate and can be transmitted through rodent exposure.
However, Indonesia has never reported HPS cases and has only recorded a limited number of Haemorhaggic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) Hantavirus infections since 1991. The Ministry of Health also stated that there have been no cases of transmission from rats to humans in Indonesia until now.
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