DOH: Filipinos aboard MV Hondius show no signs of Hantavirus infection

MANILA, May 7 ------ None of 38 Filipino seafarers aboard the MV Hondius are showing signs of a Hantavirus infection, according to the Department of Health.

The update from the health agency comes following a press briefing by the World Health Organization saying of the 147 people on the ship, three have died including a Dutch couple confirmed to have been infected. “Importante ay sila ay walang hantavirus. Sila ay nakabukod. I think following yung quarantine protocols,” DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo told ABS-CBN News.

Domingo added that while the Filipino crew remain in Cabo Verde, health authorities there are handling quarantine and monitoring procedures. The incident aboard the MV Hondius has drawn comparisons to the quarantine of cruise ships during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the Diamond Princess docked in Japan in 2020. However, the DOH said countries are now more prepared to respond to such health threats.

Before passengers and crew are allowed to return home, Domingo said they will first undergo quarantine and testing protocols in the territories where they are expected to disembark, including the Canary Islands under Spanish jurisdiction. He added that upon arrival in the Philippines, the returning seafarers will undergo health screening procedures by the Bureau of Quarantine.

The World Health Organization is closely monitoring a cluster of suspected and confirmed hantavirus infections aboard the expedition cruise ship as it remains near Cabo Verde Island off the coast of West Africa. According to the world body, seven out of the ship’s 147 passengers and crew members fell ill after the vessel visited several islands along the African coast.

Among the cases was a Dutch couple who later died and were confirmed to have contracted hantavirus. Another passenger also died, although authorities have yet to determine whether the virus caused the death. One patient has since been transferred to an intensive care unit in South Africa, while two others are set to be evacuated to the Netherlands for further treatment. Another individual reportedly experienced mild fever symptoms but has since improved.

Hantavirus is a potentially deadly disease commonly transmitted through exposure to the saliva, urine, or feces of infected rodents such as rats. People may become infected through contaminated food or drink, inhalation of virus particles, or rodent bites. There is currently no specific cure for the disease. The virus also has an incubation period ranging from one to six weeks, with symptoms that may resemble leptospirosis during the early stages.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com