Hantavirus Explained: How The Virus Spreads and Why Kurdistan Issued a Warning

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Health has issued an official alert and detailed scientific guidance regarding hantavirus, following warnings from the World Health Organization about the spread of severe respiratory illnesses linked to rodent exposure.

In an official circular dated Wednesday, signed by Kurdistan Region Health Minister Dr. Saman Barzinji and addressed to all general health directorates across the governorates and independent administrations, the ministry outlined extensive information about the virus, including its transmission methods, symptoms, case classifications, diagnosis procedures, and prevention measures.

The ministry’s move came after the WHO issued an alert at the beginning of May 2026 regarding the spread of a dangerous respiratory disease in the United Kingdom linked to exposure to house rodents, which reportedly resulted in several deaths.

According to the ministry’s scientific report, hantavirus belongs to a group of viruses shared between animals and humans. The virus primarily infects rodents such as mice and rats and can also be transmitted to humans.

Health authorities warned that the disease can become severe and, in some cases, fatal, depending on the virus strain and geographic region. The disease is generally classified into two major forms.

In North and South America, hantavirus can cause Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS), a rapidly progressing illness that severely affects the lungs and heart.

In Europe and Asia, the virus is associated with Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which mainly impacts the kidneys and blood vessels and can lead to hemorrhagic fever.

The Health Ministry stated that more than 20 types of hantavirus have so far been identified worldwide.

According to the figures included in the report, 229 infections and 59 deaths were recorded across North and South America in 2025, representing a mortality rate of nearly 25.7 percent. Meanwhile, Europe registered 1,885 infections in 2023.

How the virus spreads

The ministry explained that hantavirus is primarily transmitted through exposure to the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents.

Humans become infected when they inhale dust contaminated with rodent waste or when they directly touch contaminated materials and subsequently touch their mouth, nose, or eyes.

Human-to-human transmission is considered extremely rare and has only been documented with a specific strain known as the Andes virus, which has been recorded in countries including Argentina and Chile.

The incubation period typically ranges between two and four weeks, though it can vary from one week to as long as eight weeks.

Early symptoms include headaches, fever, chills, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

In advanced stages, patients may develop severe breathing difficulties caused by fluid accumulation in the lungs in HCPS cases, or experience low blood pressure and kidney failure in HFRS cases.

WHO case classifications

The Kurdistan Region Health Ministry also detailed classifications for suspected infections in line with WHO standards.

A “suspected case” refers to anyone experiencing symptoms such as high fever, muscle pain, and diarrhea.

A “probable case” involves a suspected patient who has had contact with infected environments or contaminated areas.

A “confirmed case” is established through laboratory testing, including PCR or serological testing.

A “non-case” refers to an individual whose laboratory tests return negative results.

The ministry emphasized that early diagnosis remains difficult because hantavirus symptoms closely resemble illnesses such as influenza and COVID-19. Laboratory testing is conducted through IgM, IgG, and RT-PCR examinations.

Officials noted that no specific treatment or vaccine currently exists for hantavirus. Medical care is therefore limited to supportive treatment, including oxygen therapy, artificial ventilation, and kidney dialysis when necessary.

The mortality rate ranges between one and 15 percent in Asia and Europe, while cases in the Americas can reach mortality levels as high as 50 percent. Despite this, the WHO currently considers the risk of a global outbreak to be low.

In its concluding recommendations, the ministry urged residents to maintain hygiene standards in homes and workplaces, seal openings that allow rodents to enter buildings, and avoid dry sweeping areas contaminated with rodent waste to prevent infected dust from spreading.

Instead, contaminated areas should first be dampened before cleaning.

The ministry also instructed healthcare facilities to ensure medical staff use full personal protective equipment, including N95 masks, gloves, and protective eyewear when dealing with suspected cases, while isolating patients in separate rooms and continuously disinfecting medical centers.