Ankara: The Venezuelan Health Ministry confirmed Tuesday that three people have died from hantavirus in the eastern state of Anzoategui, while authorities investigate two additional fatalities involving health care workers in the western state of Barinas. The ministry clarified that the two cases in Barinas are "unconnected to the cases in Anzoategui" and represent "localized events" that pose no generalized risk to the public. The three patients in Anzoategui developed severe respiratory distress, leading to significant lung damage and pleural effusion before succumbing to the illness while hospitalized.
According to Anadolu Agency, the hantavirus is transmitted by rodents in rural and agricultural areas, mainly through the inhalation of particles of urine, feces, or saliva in enclosed spaces. The ministry stated that there is no scientific evidence of person-to-person transmission in Venezuela. In response to the confirmed diagnoses, authorities have established an epidemiological containment zone in Anzoategui to identify potential contacts and intensify public health surveillance.
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses primarily spread by rodents, capable of causing severe respiratory and hemorrhagic conditions in humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between 10,000 and 100,000 human cases occur globally each year, with severity depending on the specific viral strain. Although human-to-human transmission is extraordinarily rare, the Andes virus strain is known to spread through close, prolonged contact between people.
The Venezuelan Medical Federation (FMV) expressed concern on Monday, urging the national government to act swiftly against what it described as a rapidly spreading threat. The FMV disputed the government's account, asserting that the epidemiological situation is far more severe than reported figures suggest. The medical association reported that patients across affected areas are presenting with high fever, internal bleeding, and acute respiratory failure. They criticized the health ministry's lack of transparency and called for comprehensive investigations and open public communication.
The emergence of hantavirus cases exacerbates the ongoing challenges facing Venezuela's public health infrastructure. Years of economic hardship have severely degraded hospital infrastructure, leading to chronic shortages of basic medicines, essential diagnostic tools, and personal protective equipment. The ongoing exodus of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and specialized laboratory technicians, has further diminished the capacity of public facilities to manage complex infectious disease cases.