Ministry of Health: No Hantavirus Cases in Iraq and Epidemiological Situation is Stable

The Ministry of Health announced that no Hantavirus infections have been recorded inside Iraq, confirming that the epidemiological situation in the country is stable, and that monitoring teams continue to track health developments on a daily basis. The official spokesperson for the ministry stated that no local cases of the virus have been recorded, noting that global and regional epidemiological surveillance is ongoing. He added that the ministry has taken proactive measures, including enhancing the disease surveillance system, circulating the scientific bulletin on the virus to health departments, as well as emphasizing infection control measures within health institutions, and raising health awareness regarding transmission methods and prevention. He explained that Hantavirus is classified as a zoonotic disease, transmitted primarily through rodents, and may cause serious symptoms in humans depending on the virus type and geographic region. He confirmed that the World Health Organization assesses the global risk level of the event as low, with no indications of the virus spreading in the region or threatening public health in Iraq. It is worth noting that the virus is usually transmitted to humans through contact with urine, saliva, or feces of infected rodents, or by inhaling contaminated particles in enclosed spaces, and is not usually transmitted from person to person, except for the Andes strain, which has recorded limited transmission in South America.