RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government confirmed that they will "closely monitor" close contacts of Hantavirus cases in Jakarta. Despite the public concern, the country's Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, emphasized that the virus is not easily transmitted between humans like COVID-19.

"We will monitor the situation until we are absolutely certain and can confirm that the person concerned is safe," Budi said in a press statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, May 12, 2026, as quoted from the ministry's statement.

He explained that the case currently being handled stemmed from close contact with a foreign national who had been on a ship overseas. The government acted swiftly after receiving information from British health authorities on Thursday, May 7, 2026. The following day, the patient was identified and immediately evacuated to the Prof. Dr. Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital in North Jakarta for isolation.

"Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia has improved significantly in terms of surveillance and international cooperation," he said.

To date, all close contacts have tested negative. However, the patient remains isolated to undergo the incubation period. The government has set a two-week monitoring period starting Friday, May 8, 2026.

On the same occasion, Acting Director General of Disease Control at the ministry, Andi Saguni, explained that Prof. Dr. Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital is a specialized hospital for infection control, thus they can truly focus on treating the patient. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations allow self-quarantine, he said the government has opted for isolation in a health facility as a precautionary measure.

Clinically, this disease, caused by Orthohantavirus, is generally transmitted through contact with rodents such as rats and mice, either through bites or exposure to bodily fluids (saliva, urine, feces). There is no specific treatment for Hantavirus to date, so treatment is carried out symptomatically and supportively based on the symptoms that appear.

Minister Budi stated that the Hantavirus variant circulating in Indonesia originates from Asia, with a case fatality rate of between 5 and 15 percent. This figure is significantly lower than the Andean variant in South America, which attacks the lungs and carries a mortality rate of 50-60 percent.

"99 percent of Hantavirus transmission occurs through rats, not between humans," he said.