Morocco raises hantavirus surveillance at ports and airports

Moroccan authorities have raised health surveillance and monitoring levels at ports and airports across the country, with a particular focus on the northern region, amid concerns over a potential spread of hantavirus following increased alerts in neighboring Spain.

According to informed Hespress AR sources, regional authorities in Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima held a series of coordination meetings over the past week aimed at raising awareness about the virus and assessing the global and regional epidemiological situation. Officials emphasized that the current situation remains under control, with the risk of the virus reaching Morocco assessed as low to very low.

The measures, described as preventive and precautionary, are intended to ensure the country’s readiness to respond to any potential health emergency. Authorities stressed that the steps taken reflect a proactive approach rather than a response to an immediate threat.

Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through rodents, prompting local authorities and officials responsible for managing ports and airports to implement strict rodent control measures. These efforts are particularly concentrated in entry points receiving travelers from Europe and other regions.

The reinforced monitoring applies to key transit hubs, including the ports of Tangier City, Tangier Med, and Al Hoceima, as well as the Ceuta border crossing. Airports in Tangier, Tetouan, and Al Hoceima are also operating under heightened vigilance, with authorities closely coordinating with health services to track developments and respond to any emerging risks.

Sources noted that contingency planning is underway to designate laboratories capable of analyzing suspected cases, alongside identifying facilities for isolating and treating potential infections. These arrangements, however, remain strictly precautionary at this stage.

Morocco’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection is also preparing a dedicated protocol for managing any confirmed hantavirus cases, while continuing efforts to inform the public and relevant stakeholders about the virus and its transmission patterns. Officials underlined that hantavirus is not a new pathogen and does not spread as rapidly as highly contagious viruses such as COVID-19.

The heightened vigilance follows developments in Spain, where health authorities recently began evacuating around 100 passengers and crew members from a cruise ship docked in Tenerife in the Canary Islands after cases of hantavirus were detected on board.

The strain identified, known as Andes hantavirus, is considered rare but notable for its potential human-to-human transmission. With an incubation period ranging from six to eight weeks, health authorities in several countries have intensified contact tracing efforts and preventive isolation measures to contain any possible spread.

Despite these regional developments, Moroccan officials maintain that the situation does not warrant alarm, reiterating that current actions are aimed at prevention and preparedness rather than crisis response.