Margarita Island Remains Free of Hantavirus, Says Medical College

José Antonio Narváez, president of the College of Physicians of Nueva Esparta, stated that Margarita Island is not located in a high‑incidence hantavirus zone, making the likelihood of local cases very low. He emphasized that, with proper health‑sector protocols from the Ministry of Health—such as ventilating closed spaces, cleaning floors with ample water and chlorine, and avoiding contact with rodent fluids—the virus is unlikely to reach the island.

Narváez warned residents and tourists to watch for flu‑like symptoms, including high fever, respiratory difficulty, and extreme fatigue, and to seek medical attention promptly rather than self‑medicating. He also noted that other arboviruses such as dengue and chikungunya continue to circulate on the island.