CMO Dr David Johnson announced CDC confirmation that there are no Hantavirus cases in Dominica

​Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr David Johnson announced the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed that there are no Hantavirus cases in Dominica.
 
In November 2017, the Ministry of Health & Environment informed the public that it was awaiting confirmation of a preliminary test, which indicated that one case of the unusual virus was detected in Dominica, and that confirmatory tests were being done at the CDC in Atlanta.
 
Dr. Johnson now says the tests have been negative, and the disease has not even been present in the Caribbean in the recent past.
 
He said “In fact, we have seen the studies, and working with our other reputable bodies, including the Pan American Health Organization, we have been able to confirm in fact there is no case that is circulating in the region, certainly between 1998 and 2016, 2017”.
 
He further explained that there are several reasons for this, including that the virus is transmitted by a mouse which is not found in the region.
 
Dr. Johnson added, “That is the reason, when we got preliminary results with regards to the Hantavirus, we had to seek confirmation from a reputable source, and the reputable source as we disclosed in our press release, was the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, and no one can doubt the reputation of the CDC”.
 
He said based on the results from the CDC, he is happy to report that the tests were negative, “So we can say with absolute certainty now, that there was no case, and I repeat, no case of Hantavirus which is circulating in Dominica”.
 
Humans become infected with the Hantavirus through contact with rodent urine, saliva, or feces. Some strains can be fatal to humans, and symptoms are similar to that of leptospirosis.