The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has assured Nigerians that no case of hantavirus has been recorded in the country despite reports of an ongoing outbreak linked to international cruise ship travel involving multiple countries.
The agency gave the assurance in a public health advisory issued on May 8, 2026, following growing global concern over confirmed and suspected cases associated with the cruise ship cluster currently under investigation by international health authorities.
According to the NCDC, investigations and contact tracing connected to the reported outbreak are still ongoing, but the overall risk to the Nigerian public remains low at this time.
The agency explained that hantaviruses are a group of viruses mainly carried by rodents and transmitted to humans through exposure to infected rodents or their urine, saliva, droppings, and contaminated dust particles.
It noted that symptoms of the disease may include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and in severe situations, respiratory complications that could become life-threatening.
The NCDC stated that although hantavirus infections are relatively rare, some strains have been associated with severe illnesses such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), depending on the region and virus type.
The public health agency further disclosed that it is maintaining surveillance for emerging infectious diseases and closely monitoring developments surrounding the international outbreak to ensure early detection and rapid response if necessary.
As part of precautionary measures, the NCDC advised Nigerians to maintain clean surroundings, properly store food items, seal possible rodent entry points in homes, safely dispose waste, and avoid direct contact with rodents and their droppings.
The agency also encouraged regular hand washing and proper hygiene practices, especially after cleaning areas that may have been contaminated by rodents.
It urged Nigerians to remain calm and rely only on verified information from official public health authorities, warning against the spread of misinformation capable of causing unnecessary panic.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is expected in Tenerife, Spain, on Saturday to assist in coordinating the evacuation of passengers affected by a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise vessel MV Hondius.
