Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 3 June 2026.
Edward Argar
Conservative, Melton and Syston
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of which therapeutics are effective for treating the symptoms of hantavirus.
Sharon Hodgson
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
There is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for most hantavirus infections. Treatment is supportive and based on symptoms, such as hospital care and respiratory support.
Favipiravir is an antiviral medicine which is not licensed in the United Kingdom but has been recommended by clinical advisers as an appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis for the current hantavirus incident. Favipiravir is being offered as post-exposure prophylaxis to eligible high-risk contacts.
In the event of symptoms and a positive test, the patient will be transferred to relevant high consequence infectious disease facilities, in accordance with NHS guidance.
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
