The Manila Times
(UPDATE) THE Department of Health (DOH) said border screening measures are in place in airports and ports to prevent the hantavirus from entering the country. In a statement Monday, DOH said it is closely monitoring the situation following reports that 38 Filipinos were crew members aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship where the hantavirus outbreak was reported. “DOH, along with BOQ (Bureau of Quarantine) and RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine), is actively consulting with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other countries to monitor the situation of the hantavirus infection from MV Hondius. Border screening is ready for all passengers and vessels to avoid the spread of the disease,” the agency said in Filipino. The DOH said travelers are required to submit health declarations through the eGOV app before entering the country, including information on symptoms and travel history. Passengers arriving from flagged countries or those showing symptoms of illness are immediately referred to BOQ offices for further assessment. Upon arrival, BOQ personnel also observe travelers for signs of illness and conduct screening using infrared thermal scanners capable of detecting high fever. Authorities said travelers flagged during screening undergo further evaluation, including checks on travel history, possible exposure, and physical examination. Those found to have symptoms or suspected infection are immediately transferred to isolation facilities or DOH-designated hospitals, including RITM, for monitoring and treatment. The agency further reported that no cases of hantavirus have been recorded so far. In a press conference late Sunday, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), along with DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa, said the Filipino crew members will undergo a 42-day quarantine period once they dock in the Netherlands — a measure that is said to adhere to international protocols. “We’ll just watch them for 42 days in the Netherlands,” Herbosa said during the press conference. In its latest report, the WHO said it has recorded a total of 6 confirmed cases of the virus, with three deaths. DOH spokesman Albert Domingo previously explained that the rat-borne disease is not a new disease. Domingo said hantavirus is a rare viral infection typically transmitted through exposure to infected rodents or their droppings — not through casual human-to-human contact. The WHO previously said that human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is rare and primarily documented only for the Andes virus — which was reported on the said ship.
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