Kazakhstan says Hantavirus not circulating in country

Kazakhstan’s National Centre for Public Health (NCPH) has moved to reassure the public over concerns about hantavirus, saying the disease is not currently circulating in the country and that the situation remains under control.

In a statement, the NCPH said health experts are paying particular attention to the Andes orthohantavirus (ANDV) strain, which is considered especially dangerous because it can spread from person to person through close contact, Caliber.Az reports per Kazakh media. 

According to the centre, the virus can have an incubation period of up to 42 days, with early symptoms often resembling those of a common viral infection. In more severe cases, patients may develop rapid lung damage and respiratory failure.

Despite the concerns, health authorities stressed that no cases linked to the virus have been detected in Kazakhstan at this time.

Hantaviruses are typically transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, though some strains — including ANDV — have shown limited human-to-human transmission.

By Sabina Mammadli