According to the South African Minister of Health, local rats do not carry the hantavirus.

During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the minister announced that South African rodents are not known to carry the hantavirus. This was an attempt to calm public fears after a deadly outbreak killed three people, with some of the infected individuals receiving treatment in South Africa.

The Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, briefed MPs on the virus following reports that three passengers had died. In the latest developing news, there are now eight suspected cases linked to the outbreak after Switzerland confirmed a case. During the briefing, EFF MP Naledi Chirwa raised concerns about potential risks to communities living in rodent-infested areas, such as Alexandra in northern Johannesburg. She followed up by asking if the country has adequate systems and health response mechanisms in place for these areas.

“Our rats do not carry species of hantavirus. While we do not have significant rodent problems linked to waste management and environmental conditions, testing conducted in Southern Africa has not identified hantavirus in local rodent populations,” said Prof. Lucille Blumberg, a qualified epidemiologist and former deputy director at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). According to Motsoaledi, there are no recorded cases on the African continent, no evidence of hantavirus in Africa, and no records linking South African rodents to the virus.

“I stand to be corrected, but from the information available, South African rats do not carry hantavirus. It is a virus more commonly found in North and South America, Europe and parts of Asia including India. I am unaware of any case that has ever been in South Africa in rodents,“ the Minister of Health added.

While the minister has attempted to reduce fear and misinformation surrounding the hantavirus, a number of concerns remain. Some fear that this could be the beginning of another pandemic, claiming that the coronavirus started in a similar fashion.

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