HARARE, May 12 (NewsDay Live) — Zimbabwean health authorities are monitoring three healthcare workers who returned from Ascension Island after being identified as contacts of a confirmed hantavirus case, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) said on Tuesday.
The ministry said the three were asymptomatic and were placed under precautionary monitoring in line with international health protocols.
Port Health Services screened and assessed the travellers on arrival at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport before placing them under a 45-day observation period, the ministry said.
Authorities have also arranged for the healthcare workers to stay at a designated private isolation facility during the monitoring period.
“Appropriate infection prevention and control measures will be implemented throughout the transfer and monitoring process,” the ministry said in a statement.
Hantavirus is a rare viral disease spread mainly through contact with infected rodents, particularly their urine, saliva or droppings. Severe cases can develop into hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a potentially fatal respiratory illness.
Early symptoms include fever, fatigue, headaches and muscle pain, with some cases progressing to breathing difficulties.
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The ministry urged the public to remain calm, saying all necessary public health measures were in place to minimise risk.
