The Ministry of Health has directed counties to immediately activate preparedness measures following a hantavirus outbreak linked to a Dutch-flagged cruise ship that has claimed three lives.
In an advisory released on Friday, Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni Muriuki warned all county health departments, sub-county medical officers, and hospital medical superintendents to heighten surveillance and emergency response systems.
According to the advisory, the outbreak was first reported to the World Health Organization on May 2 by the United Kingdom’s International Health Regulations focal point after a cluster of severe respiratory illnesses was detected aboard the cruise ship.
Laboratory testing conducted in South Africa later confirmed hantavirus infection in one patient.
As of May 7, 2026, a total of eight cases (five confirmed and three suspected), including three deaths, have been reported,” the advisory stated.
The vessel carries 147 individuals (88 passengers and 59 crew members) from 23 countries, including the United States, India, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, and Russia among others.
The Ministry explained that hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with urine, saliva, or droppings of infected rodents, or through touching contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms include headache, fever, chills, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and respiratory distress.
Symptoms typically occur from two to four weeks after initial exposure to the virus,” the advisory noted, adding that the disease can sometimes appear as early as one week after exposure.
Although the WHO has assessed the global risk from the outbreak as low, Kenya’s Ministry of Health cautioned counties against complacency.
Previous minor outbreaks of infectious diseases rapidly spread from one continent to another,” the ministry warned, directing all counties to “immediately commence implementation of preparedness measures.”
Among the measures ordered are enhanced surveillance at all border entry points, especially airports receiving travelers from affected countries, activation of Public Health Emergency Operations Centers, and identification of quarantine and isolation facilities.
Counties have also been instructed to conduct comprehensive training on hantavirus epidemiology, infection prevention and control, case management, sample handling, and risk communication.
The advisory further urged healthcare workers to educate communities on minimizing contact with rodents by keeping homes clean, sealing openings in buildings, safely storing food, disinfecting contaminated areas, and strengthening hand hygiene practices.
While there is currently no specific treatment or vaccine for hantavirus infections, the ministry emphasized that early supportive care and prompt referral to intensive care facilities can improve survival rates.