The risk of the hantavirus to the Jamaican population remains very low, according to local medical experts.

The reassurance by the experts comes against the background of global concerns surrounding the outbreak of the virus aboard a Dutch cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, which left three passengers dead and several others severely ill.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of May 13, 2026, 11 cases, including three deaths, had been linked to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius.

It said eight cases were laboratory-confirmed for Andes virus (ANDV) infection, two were probable, and one remained inconclusive pending further testing. Andes virus is a type of hantavirus that can cause a severe respiratory illness known as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).

“The animal that normally carries the virus is not native to Jamaica, so the likelihood of local transmission is very low. Any cases here would most likely be imported through infected travellers,” said Professor Marvin Reid, president of the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ).

Professor Marvin Reid

Reid explained that hantavirus primarily spreads from infected rodents through exposure to urine, faeces or other bodily fluids. However, he noted that the strain currently causing concern differs from most hantaviruses because it can also spread between humans.

“This particular strain can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes,” Reid explained.

However, he stressed that person-to-person transmission is far less efficient than with COVID-19.

“You would generally need prolonged close contact with an infected person for transmission to occur,” he said.

According to Reid, while the possibility of an infected traveller entering Jamaica can never be ruled out, the overall likelihood remains low because cases globally are still relatively rare.

“The risk is never zero because an infected traveller could arrive in Jamaica. However, cases remain relatively rare globally, so the overall likelihood is low,” he said.

Reid added that doctors will now rely heavily on patients’ travel history and symptoms to determine whether they may have contracted the virus.

Professor Peter Figueroa

Similarly, Dr Peter Figueroa, professor of public health, epidemiology and HIV/AIDS at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, said he does not consider the outbreak a major threat to Jamaica but stressed that passengers from the ship should be monitored closely because the incubation period can range from one to six weeks, and occasionally up to eight weeks.

“I don’t think that this is a threat in that sense. The one dimension that we need to be aware of is that the incubation period, that is the period between exposure to the virus and developing actual clinical features if you are getting the disease, can run anywhere from one to six weeks and sometimes occasionally up to eight weeks,” he said.

Figueroa also underscored that Jamaica’s surveillance systems are already equipped to detect severe respiratory illnesses.

“The Ministry of Health and clinicians are on high alert,” he said, adding that the UWI is set to host a special discussion on hantavirus this week to keep medical professionals informed.

He urged Jamaicans to maintain proper hygiene, such as regular handwashing, and ensure effective garbage disposal to prevent attracting rodents.

“The most important thing is that we have to pay attention to personal hygiene, hand washing. Second thing is basic sanitation, because the main reservoir is rats, which means that you make sure that you’re managing garbage disposal properly, and that you are managing any kind of rat infestation and controlling that. So environmental sanitation is
important,” Figueroa said.

According to Figueroa, common symptoms associated with the virus include fever, joint pain, stomach upset and respiratory complications, while severe cases can lead to heart and lung problems.

Despite assurances from public health experts that the risk of hantavirus to Jamaica remains low, some healthcare workers say they are still uneasy about the outbreak.

One pharmacist told Observer Online that she was “somewhat concerned” about the outbreak because the virus “seems easier to spread than we anticipated.”

The healthcare worker also questioned whether Jamaica’s health system was adequately prepared if cases were detected locally, pointing to the country’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our system was barely able to manage COVID, which has a lower mortality rate than the hantavirus,” the pharmacist said.

However, a nurse who also spoke with Observer Online said she was aware of the outbreak but was not concerned. When asked whether she thought Jamaica’s healthcare system is prepared to handle a possible outbreak, the nurse said: “No, but we will make it.”