The Potential Risk Factors of Hantavirus Transmission to Humans from Infected Rodents in Malaysia

Abstract

Zoonotic hantavirus is a negative single-stranded RNA virus from the family Bunyaviridae which is known to cause two significant rodent-borne diseases in humans namely hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), affecting about 30 000 people worldwide each year. HFRS is a disease found endemically in Asia and Europe with case fatality rates varying from <1% to 12%, while HPS which has a higher mortality rate of approximately 40% occurs within the American continent. Many countries in Southeast Asia unaware the public health implication of Hantavirus infection despite favorable ecological conditions include rich rodent species diversity, urbanisation and high human-wildlife interface that serve as ecological condition that could support the virus persistence and transmission.Since humans serve as spillover hosts who are infected largely by inhalation of infected rodents’ excreta, it is crucial to fill in the research gap by identifying the risk factors for human hantavirus infection. This paper provides a review of the potential risk factors associated with hantavirus transmission to humans from infected rodents in Malaysia focusing on behavioral, occupational, urban, and environmental. Other pieces of knowledge such as hantavirus virological properties, the geographical distribution with its respective role as a reservoir, clinical features, and diagnostic challenges, particularly its propensity to be misclassified due to mimic symptom with dengue and leptospirosis. To effectively mitigate transmission, Malaysia must transition from a fragmented surveillance model to a proactive, integrated One Health framework that bridges the inter-governmental agencies through a unified data-sharing platform to monitor active viral strains and prevent localised spillover outbreaks.