EU obtains experimental antivirals for Hantavirus response

According to a statement from the European Commission, the delivery took place on Thursday under a cooperation agreement with Japan.

France, Spain, and the Netherlands have received a total of 1,400 tablets of the antiviral drug Favipiravir. The medication may be used for patients or in clinical trials, in accordance with national emergency protocols.

Although Favipiravir is not currently approved for the treatment or prevention of Hantavirus infections, the European Medicines Agency has recognized it as a candidate for compassionate use or clinical research.

The shipment was provided as a donation from Fujifilm Pharmaceuticals, facilitated by Japanese authorities and the EU delegation in Tokyo as part of EU-Japan cooperation on emergency health response.

The EU Commission stated that it has been coordinating with member states since recent outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to expedite access to potential medical countermeasures and support deployment requests from these countries.

EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said that close cooperation between the EU, member states, and Japanese partners enabled rapid access to potentially life-saving Hantavirus treatment for European patients.

The bloc also announced that it is initiating emergency procurement procedures to secure additional doses if needed, thereby improving preparedness for possible future cases.

Hantavirus is a rare disease typically transmitted by infected rodents or their droppings. The strain linked to the current outbreak, the Andes virus, can, in some cases, spread between humans through prolonged close contact, particularly in enclosed environments.

Previously, Qazinform News Agency reported that a Canadian cruise passenger in isolation tested presumptively positive for Hantavirus, according to British Columbia health officials.