ORANJESTAD (AAN) – Aruba Monitoring Hantavirus Situation in Venezuela following reports that three people in the Venezuelan state of Anzoátegui died after being infected with the virus, according to that country’s public health authorities.
The Directie Volksgezondheid (DVG) said it is closely monitoring the international situation but emphasized that, based on the information currently available, there is no direct risk to Aruba.
According to DVG, Hantavirus is primarily a zoonotic disease, meaning it is transmitted from animals to humans. Infection most commonly occurs through contact with the urine, droppings, or saliva of certain species of wild rodents and other animal carriers.
Health officials also noted that, based on official information from Venezuela, there is no evidence that the current cases involve person-to-person transmission.
A key factor reducing the risk to Aruba is that the island does not have the rodent species known to carry Hantavirus. As a result, DVG considers the possibility of local transmission to be very low.
The public health authority said it will continue to monitor developments closely and reassess the situation if new information becomes available.
Should the risk assessment for Aruba change, DVG said it will implement any necessary public health measures and keep the community informed through official updates.
