Mexico has issued a preventive hantavirus alert, although no cases of the emerging deadly virus have been recorded in Mexican territory.

The alert was issued by the National Committee for Epidemiological Surveillance (Conave) to all medical units in the country, following the confirmation of a hantavirus outbreak on May 2 onboard an international cruise ship sailing the South Atlantic Ocean.  

The purpose of the warning is to help hospitals, laboratories and epidemiological surveillance units to quickly detect any possible imported cases.

“Although the risk to the country is low, timely detection remains crucial due to the high lethality of the disease, its rapid clinical progression, the diagnostic difficulty in early stages, and the need to implement strict isolation measures in suspected cases,” Conave said in its warning.  

Preventive measures such as reinforced surveillance in hospitals and laboratories are vital, Conave said, given how easily a virus can spread from “international mobility, global air traffic, exposure to international travelers and the documented capacity for person-to-person transmission.”  

Following the report, Health Minister David Kershenobich confirmed on his X account on Tuesday that Mexico had no registered cases of the Andes hantavirus to date, and that the country maintains ongoing epidemiological surveillance in accordance with international health protocols. 

What is the Andes hantavirus?

The hantavirus is a zoonotic pathogen primarily transmitted through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents. The Andes hantavirus (ANDV) is the only hantavirus with documented evidence of human-to-human transmission.

Although infrequent, human-to-human transmission is associated with close physical contact, exposure to respiratory secretions or saliva and prolonged stays in enclosed or confined spaces.

Hantavirus infection can trigger hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a disease characterized by rapidly progressing acute respiratory failure and a high mortality rate. The incubation period can be long, ranging from four to 42 days after exposure.

In its initial phase, patients may experience fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and gastrointestinal discomfort, such as nausea and vomiting. Subsequently, between four and 10 days after onset, the condition usually worsens with respiratory distress, cough and chest tightness, and can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure or death.

Health authorities warn that no specific approved antiviral treatment exists, so the medical approach is limited to critical life support measures and oxygen therapy.

Mexico News Daily