Gov’t calls for calm amid Hantavirus outbreak.

He stated that no case of the virus has been recorded in Cameroon despite growing international concern surrounding its outbreak.

According to the minister, the alert was initially raised on May 2 by the United Kingdom, UK to the World Health Organisation, WHO. 

The minister said the alert followed the emergence of severe respiratory illness cases aboard the ship, MV Hondius, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1.

He noted that laboratory analyses conducted by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of South Africa and later confirmed by Geneva University Hospitals identified the virus as the Andes strain Hantavirus. 

The member of government noted that it is a rare viral infection primarily found in South America.

Dr Manaouda disclosed that 16 cases have so far been reported globally, including nine laboratory-confirmed infections and three deaths. 

More than 150 individuals considered high-risk contacts, he explained, are currently under surveillance across fourteen countries spanning four continents.

In his presentation, Minister Manaouda explained that Hantaviruses are generally transmitted through contact with infected wild rodents. 

He noted that the Andes strain is particularly concerning because it also possesses the ability to spread from person to person after close and prolonged contact.

The disease, the minister explained, commonly begins with symptoms such as high fever, headaches, fatigue and muscle pain before progressing, in severe cases, to acute cardiopulmonary complications requiring intensive medical care.

“No specific treatment or licensed vaccine currently exists,” the minister remarked. He added that the disease can have a lethality rate of up to 50 percent based on some clinical studies. Dr Manaouda also noted the current outbreak has recorded a mortality rate estimated at 18 percent.

Despite the seriousness of the virus, Minister Manaouda insisted that the risk of introduction into the country remains low. He explained that Cameroon is not among the repatriation destinations for passengers aboard the affected vessel. 

He equally reassured the public that no animal reservoir for the Andes virus has so far been identified anywhere on the African continent.

Relying on assessments by the World Health Organisation, which has ruled out any pandemic potential linked to the current outbreak, he called on citizens to remain calm and avoid panic.

“Economic and social life must continue in serenity,” Minister Manaouda declared, insisting that no restrictions have been placed on travel, schools, markets, religious gatherings, or other public activities.

He nonetheless stated that some precautionary measures have already been reinforced nationwide. He noted that the Public Health Emergency Operations Coordination Center has intensified epidemiological monitoring, while a national preparedness and response plan is currently being finalized.

Health surveillance, he said, has also been strengthened at major entry points into the country. The minister was particular about the Yaounde-Nsimalen and Douala international airports, as well as the ports of Douala, Kribi, and Limbe.

He noted that within referral hospitals, isolation units are being reactivated to manage any potential severe cases should they arise. The minister noted that officials have initiated procedures to facilitate the transfer of biological samples to the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, the regional reference laboratory for specialised testing.

Minister Manaouda further urged travellers returning from high-risk countries or individuals who may have interacted with passengers from the MV Hondius to remain vigilant.

He called on anyone experiencing severe respiratory symptoms, persistent fever, or signs of kidney complications to seek immediate medical attention and disclose their travel history to health professionals.

The minister called on healthcare workers to strictly apply infection prevention and control measures, particularly the use of appropriate protective masks when handling suspected cases.

Minister Manaouda called on the media and opinion leaders to avoid spreading false or alarmist information capable of creating unnecessary public anxiety.

“The Government is watching. The State is mobilized. Nothing in the current situation justifies undue concern,” he affirmed.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3792 of Monday May 18, 2026