Webinar highlights the importance of hantavirus awareness and prevention

The webinar took place on 27 May 2026.

In Mozambique, bacterial, viral, and other neglected tropical diseases remain among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly affecting vulnerable populations, including children under five years of age. These diseases are associated with various clinical syndromes, notably enteric infections, acute respiratory illnesses, and invasive bacterial infections, representing a major public health challenge for the country.

Among these diseases is hantavirus, a zoonotic disease primarily transmitted through contact with the urine, saliva, or faeces of infected rodents. The infection can cause severe respiratory syndromes and other potentially fatal complications. Although first identified in the 1970s, the virus gained greater international attention in 1993 following an outbreak of Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome in the United States of America. Since then, several countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas have reported sporadic cases and outbreaks, reinforcing the need for epidemiological surveillance and public awareness.

With the aim of promoting scientific knowledge sharing and strengthening awareness of this emerging disease, the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) recently hosted the webinar “What Do We Know About Hantavirus?”, a virtual session that brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, students, and representatives of community-based organisations.

The session was led by Percina Chirinda, Junior Researcher in the Bacterial, Viral and Other Neglected Tropical Diseases Research Area at CISM, and moderated by Vasco Sambo, Engagement and Impact Coordinator of the CHAMPS programme. During the presentation, topics covered included virus transmission, risk factors associated with exposure to infected rodents, the clinical signs of the disease, and the importance of epidemiological surveillance, community education, and risk communication.

Percina Chirinda, speaker

Vasco Sambo, moderator

The webinar also underscored the importance of adopting preventive measures, such as improving environmental hygiene, implementing rodent control measures, and promoting good sanitation practices within communities. Participants further highlighted the role of health literacy and the dissemination of evidence-based information as essential tools for preventing emerging diseases.

“We need to transform scientific information into community action. Hantavirus may not be widely known in many communities, but prevention starts precisely with discussions like this, where we share knowledge and strengthen people's capacity to recognise and reduce the risks of exposure,” said Percina Chirinda.

During the discussion, an important challenge for community awareness activities was also identified: in some regions, rodents constitute a source of food for certain populations, which may increase the risk of exposure to the virus and requires communication and prevention approaches adapted to local realities.

The Bacterial, Viral and Other Neglected Tropical Diseases Research Area at CISM has among its main objectives contributing to the monitoring of epidemiological trends and circulating strains, supporting the development of disease prevention and control strategies, and strengthening research on emerging diseases, zoonoses, and the One Health approach. Through these activities, CISM contributes to generating scientific evidence that supports the protection of community health and the strengthening of surveillance systems in Mozambique and beyond its borders.