Serang, Banten (ANTARA) - The Banten Provincial Government has heightened vigilance and tightened supervision at Soekarno-Hatta (Soetta) International Airport to prevent the potential spread of hantavirus into the region.

Head of the Banten Health Office Ati Pramudji Hastuti stated here on Thursday that the stricter measures are focused on international arrival gates in direct coordination with health quarantine authorities.

“Enhanced monitoring is being carried out at the entry points of the Soekarno-Hatta Health Quarantine Center (BBKK) and the Banten Class I Health Quarantine Office,” she remarked.

In addition to tightening supervision at arrival gates, the Banten provincial government has also raised the alert status for suspected hantavirus cases at all healthcare facilities.

Special attention is being given to healthcare facilities designated as sentinel hospitals for emerging infectious diseases in Banten, namely Tangerang District Regional Hospital.

Hastuti emphasized that the most effective preventive measures are maintaining cleanliness in homes and surrounding areas, preventing rats from entering houses, and storing food in tightly sealed containers.

“We continue to educate the public to avoid direct contact with reservoirs, namely rats and their droppings, as well as potentially contaminated areas such as garbage disposal sites and drains. Immediately visit healthcare facilities if you experience suspected symptoms,” she stated.

She explained that hantavirus is an infectious disease known as Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which carries a very low risk of human-to-human transmission.

She confirmed that Banten recorded one positive hantavirus case in November 2025. However, the patient has now fully recovered.

She also ensured that last year’s case was isolated and had no connection to the hantavirus outbreak recently detected on the MV Hondius cruise ship.

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