TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Health Ministry said one Jakarta-based foreign national was identified as a close contact of a hantavirus case aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, where the outbreak was first detected.
Acting Director General for Disease Prevention Andi Saguni said Indonesian authorities heightened surveillance after receiving a notification from the International Health Regulation National Focal Point (IHR NFP) in the United Kingdom.
According to the notification, a foreign national identified by the initials KE, who resides in Jakarta, had close contact with a hantavirus patient while on board the cruise ship.
“On May 7, 2026, at 09:55 PM Western Indonesia Time, the IHR NFP in the UK notified Indonesia regarding one close contact residing in Indonesia,” Andi said during a virtual press conference on Monday, May 11, 2026.
The 60-year-old man reportedly stayed at a hotel and traveled on a flight with a 69-year-old female passenger who later died from hantavirus. Authorities said the close contact had disembarked from the ship in Saint Helena before continuing his journey to Johannesburg and later returning to Indonesia.
The Health Ministry said it immediately conducted an epidemiological investigation one day after receiving the report. Initial examinations found that the individual showed no symptoms associated with hantavirus.
Andi said PCR tests on five specimens — including serum, urine, saliva, throat swabs, and blood samples — all returned negative results.
“The PCR test results were negative for hantavirus. This close contact lives alone, has minimal interaction with others, and has a good understanding of the situation,” he said.
Despite the negative test results, the ministry said the individual remains under monitoring and quarantine at Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital.
Andi said the patient’s condition would continue to be evaluated daily, with additional testing planned to ensure there is no delayed infection, as the hantavirus incubation period can exceed two weeks.
Read: French Woman Tests Positive for Hantavirus After Returning Home
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