The Minister of Health, Rakan Nasreddine, during a press conference on March 3, 2026. (Photo: NNA)
BEIRUT — The Ministry of Public Health said Saturday that hantavirus does not constitute "a public health emergency" in Lebanon after an outbreak of infection emerged aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, where three passengers died.
In a statement, the ministry said that "the current situation does not constitute a public health emergency," quoting the World Health Organization's (WHO) assessment, and adding that "the risk level remains low at this stage" and that it is "closely monitoring developments related to the recently reported hantavirus cases, which have been limited to certain parts of the world."
The minister noted that "person-to-person transmission of the virus remains limited and rare, requiring close and prolonged contact" and that "in previous years, there have been only limited outbreaks of hantavirus, all of which were contained through strengthened epidemiological surveillance, the adoption of preventive measures, and an appropriate response," with "no cases having been recorded in Lebanon." The ministry also stressed "the importance of seeking information from official sources and avoiding the spread of rumors."
The most recent WHO update on Friday recorded a total of six confirmed cases among eight suspected cases, including a Dutch couple and a German woman who died, for this known but rare virus, for which there is no vaccine or treatment. The cruise ship where a hantavirus outbreak was detected is expected to arrive in the Canary Islands on Sunday.
