UAE authorities say they are closely following events related to the hantavirus outbreak in Europe and are fully prepared to respond if cases were detected.
There have been no cases reported in the Gulf or wider Middle East, and the review is purely a precaution.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (Ncema) and the Ministry of Health on Tuesday confirmed the "readiness of the UAE’s national surveillance and response system to address any health developments or emerging situations, particularly those related to hantavirus".
Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of Health and Prevention, held a meeting with senior officials to review best practice.
"The meeting reviewed the latest developments related to the hantavirus, alongside an assessment of the UAE’s approved national health surveillance and response systems, existing precautionary measures, and coordination and integration of mechanisms with relevant entities at the local, national, and international levels," a statement said.
They "stressed the importance of obtaining information from official sources and refraining from circulating or publishing inaccurate information, reaffirming the UAE’s longstanding commitment to protecting public health".
The outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship led to nine confirmed cases so far and three deaths.
The WHO has said further cases could materialise because of the long incubation period, but that this was not a pandemic, and was nothing like Covid-19.
