Azerbaijan Says No Cause for Concern Over Hantavirus Spread

Jerusalem, 12 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Baku (AZERTAC) – Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Health said the country’s epidemiological situation is stable and there is no reason to be concerned about the spread of the hantavirus infection.

AZERTAC was informed about this by the press service of the ministry.

It was noted that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the organization coordinates preventive and rapid response measures with various countries within the framework of the International Health Regulations. It is noted that people are usually infected through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of rodents carrying hantavirus, as well as through inhalation of dust mixed with rodent excrement.

Human-to-human transmission of the virus is extremely rare and has only been observed in connection with the Andean species found in America, the ministry added.

Azerbaijan is not considered an endemic region for hantavirus and the virus is not found among rodents living in the country. Therefore, hantavirus infection is not included in routine laboratory testing panels in our country. However, in Azerbaijan, both human and animal health laboratories have all the technical capabilities for hantavirus testing.

“The Ministry of Health is guided by the WHO recommendations in this matter and cooperates with the organization. If necessary (for example, persons with relevant clinical symptoms and coming from epidemiologically risky countries), examinations will be organized in accordance with clinical protocols. The Ministry, while monitoring the epidemiological situation, calls on the population to rely only on official sources. The current situation does not pose any additional risk to the population of the country,” the statement emphasized.