By Tracy Cabrera
SANTA CRUZ, Manila — While the World Health Organization (WHO) previously said that human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is rare and primarily documented only for the Andes virus, the Department of Health (DoH) has announced that border screening measures are in place in airports and ports to prevent the possible entry of the hantavirus into the country.
In an official statement, health secretary Teodoro ‘Ted’ Herbosa disclosed that they are closely monitoring the situation following reports that 38 Filipinos were crew members aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, where the rare viral infection 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 health chief stated officially.
“Travelers are required to submit health declarations through the eGOV app before entering the country, including information on symptoms and travel history. Meanwhile, passengers arriving from flagged countries or those showing symptoms of illness are immediately referred to BOQ offices for further assessment,” he added.
Accordingly, BoQ personnel have been directed to strictly monitor travelers upon arrival, observe for signs of illness, and conduct screening using infrared thermal scanners capable of detecting high fever. Flagged travelers during screening will undergo further evaluation, including checks on travel history, possible exposure, and physical examination.
Those found to have symptoms or suspected infection will immediately be transferred to isolation facilities or DoH-designated hospitals, including RITM, for monitoring and treatment. However, no cases of hantavirus have been recorded so far.
In the meantime, crew members of MV Hondius will presently be placed under a 42-day quarantine period once they dock in the Netherlands in adherence to international protocols.
In its latest report, the WHO monitoring team stated that it has recorded a total of 6 confirmed cases of the virus, with three deaths. In spite the fatalities, health experts explained that the rat-borne hantavirus is not a new disease and it is typically transmitted through exposure to infected rodents or their droppings and not through casual human-to-human contact.
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