Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, May 5, said 38 Filipino seafarers are among those on board a cruise ship quarantined off Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean due to a hantavirus outbreak.
Quoting the World Health Organization (WHO), the DOH said the Filipino crew of the M/V Hondius remains healthy, with no reported illnesses so far, as authorities continue close coordination with international health bodies.
A total of 149 people remain on board, where three persons – a Dutch couple and a German national – have died, while several others have fallen ill.
According to the WHO, two cases were laboratory-confirmed, while five others are suspected. It is unclear whether those who died tested positive for the virus.
READ: Human-to-human hantavirus transmission suspected on cruise but risk to public low, WHO says
The DOH emphasized the risk to the country is extremely low, adding that while historical cases dating back to 1992 are under review, there has been no recent confirmation of the virus in the country.
The agency noted that hantavirus is a rare disease typically transmitted through exposure to rodent urine or droppings.
“Huwag po tayong mangamba. Ulitin namin, mas nababahala kami sa dami ng tuberculosis at sa bilis ng hawa ng HIV,” said DOH Undersecretary Albert Domingo.
(Translation: There is no cause for alarm. We reiterate that our greater concern lies in the high prevalence of tuberculosis and the rapid transmission rate of human immunodeficiency virus)
Health officials said the government is closely monitoring the condition of the Filipino seafarers. However, responsibility for their possible repatriation lies with the ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions. The Bureau of Quarantine has been placed on high alert.
