By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Wednesday 13th May 2026) — Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws has shared that the Federation’s air and sea ports are being monitored amid international attention surrounding Hantavirus cases linked to a cruise ship. In an interview at the ZIZ TV studios on Tuesday 12th May 2026, Dr. Laws confirmed that there are currently no suspected or confirmed cases of Hantavirus in St. Kitts and Nevis. She explained the virus: “Hantavirus is a zoonotic virus. It means that it’s a virus that normally infects animals and it has the potential of infecting humans. In this case, Hantavirus usually infects wild rodents, rats, mice and it has the potential of spilling over to human beings. Humans exposed to rodent-infested areas come into contact with the urine, excreta or droppings of infected rodents, and when these substances are dried, the virus becomes airborne and the individual has the potential of inhaling the virus.”
On cases in the Federation: “I want to use this opportunity to underscore that at this point in time, there are no suspected or confirmed cases of Hantavirus in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. The Hantavirus is not prevalent in St. Kitts and Nevis. When you look at the latest information coming out of CARPHA, there’s minimal historical information about the existence of this virus in the Caribbean region.” The Ministry of Health monitors the maritime declaration of health of all inbound ships to the Federation and has a port health team present at airports to monitor all incoming travelers by air.