The National Public Health Agency informs the public about the characteristics of hantavirus infection and the current level of public health risk.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that naturally affect certain rodent species and can, in rare cases, be transmitted to humans. The infection is zoonotic, and transmission most commonly occurs by inhalation of particles contaminated with urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents. Infection may also occur through contact of infected secretions with mucous membranes or damaged skin and, less frequently, through a rodent bite.
Symptoms of hantavirus infection are characterized by an acute febrile state with kidney damage and/or haemorrhagic manifestations when there is an appropriate epidemiological context and laboratory confirmation.
Person-to-person transmission is excluded. Almost
The risk to the European population is currently considered low. Specialists note that the prophylaxis and control measures applied on board the ship are adequate and that human-to-human transmission for hantaviruses is extremely rare and limited to certain strains that do not normally circulate in Europe.
To date, no confirmed cases of hantavirus infection in humans have been reported in the Republic of Moldova. Epidemiologic surveillance of the infection is carried out within the framework of the national system of infectious disease monitoring with continuous assessment of epidemiologic risks. ANSP provides laboratory investigation of suspected cases using specialized diagnostic methods.
To reduce the risk of infection, the population is advised to follow general preventive measures:
- maintain cleanliness in living, storage and working areas;
- avoid direct contact with rodents and their excreta;
- store food in safe conditions;
- do not sweep or vacuum dry rodent excretions; infected surfaces should be moistened and disinfected before cleaning.
The Agency recommends that persons who have returned from regions where cases of hantavirus infection have been registered and who have developed symptoms of the disease, consult a doctor as soon as possible and be sure to inform medical personnel about recent travels and possible contact with rodents.
