Border screening tightened amid hantavirus global scare

The Department of Health has activated enhanced border screening measures at airports and seaports as it monitors global developments involving hantavirus, following reports of infections aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the government is coordinating closely with the World Health Organization, as well as the Bureau of Quarantine and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, to track the situation and prevent possible entry of the virus into the country.

“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,” Herbosa said.

He added that travelers are required to submit health declarations through the eGOV app before entering the country, while those flagged for symptoms or arriving from affected areas will undergo further assessment by quarantine officers.

“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 said.

The Bureau of Quarantine has been instructed to intensify monitoring at entry points using infrared thermal scanners and conduct secondary screening for passengers showing fever or other symptoms. Suspected cases will be referred to isolation facilities or DOH-designated hospitals, including the RITM, for evaluation and care.

Authorities clarified that no hantavirus cases have been detected in the country so far.

Crew members of MV Hondius, including 38 Filipinos, are expected to undergo a 42-day quarantine upon arrival in the Netherlands, in line with international health protocols.

According to the latest monitoring report cited by WHO, there are currently six confirmed hantavirus cases globally with three deaths. Health experts stressed, however, that hantavirus is primarily rodent-borne and not typically spread through casual human-to-human transmission. TRACY CABRERA