The Department of Health said border screening measures are in place at airports and seaports to prevent the possible entry of hantavirus into the country following reports involving Filipino crew members aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship.
The agency, together with the Bureau of Quarantine and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, is coordinating with the World Health Organization and other countries to monitor the situation.
Travelers entering the Philippines are required to submit health declarations through the eGOV app and may undergo additional screening and evaluation if symptoms are detected.
The DOH said no hantavirus cases have been recorded in the Philippines so far, while 38 Filipino crew members aboard the ship are set to undergo a 42-day quarantine in the Netherlands in line with international health protocols.
The WHO has so far confirmed six hantavirus cases linked to the outbreak, including three deaths, while health officials emphasized that human-to-human transmission of the virus remains rare.
Source: PhilNews24 | May 12, 2026
