PH, Netherlands ensure care for 38 Filipino crew under quarantine

The Philippines and the Netherlands are coordinating to ensure proper care for the 38 Filipino crew members of the MV Hondius as they undergo quarantine following a hantavirus outbreak.

The Department of Health (DOH) made the statement after Health Secretary Ted Herbosa met with Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday.

“Sa kanilang pag-uusap, siniguro ang kooperasyon ng dalawang bansa para maayos na maalagaan ang 38 Filipino crew members ng MV Hondius habang nananatiling ligtas at maayos ang sistema ng Netherlands sa pagsasagawa ng quarantine protocols,” the DOH said on Monday.

(During their discussion, both countries ensured cooperation to properly care for the 38 Filipino crew members of the MV Hondius while maintaining the Netherlands’ safe and effective quarantine protocols.)

“Nagpasalamat ang parehong health ministers sa isa't isa sa maayos na ugnayan dulot ng parehong kooperasyon sa global health bilang WHO member states,” it added.

(The health ministers of both countries also expressed gratitude to each other for their strong coordination and shared commitment to global health as World Health Organization member states.)

Aside from the DOH, the Philippine government agencies coordinating with Dutch authorities are the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The DMW earlier said all Filipino crew members aboard the MV Hondius tested negative for hantavirus but remain under monitoring along with other passengers.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the first two patients were a Dutch couple, aged 70 and 69, who had traveled to Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay for birdwatching before boarding the cruise ship.

The couple reportedly visited areas inhabited by rodent species known to carry hantavirus and may have been infected before boarding, though they had not yet shown symptoms.

The vessel’s itinerary included Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island.

Hantavirus is typically transmitted from rodents to humans. However, the WHO said no rats were reported aboard the ship, raising the possibility of the rare occurrence of human-to-human transmission.

Health experts said such transmission may happen through close and prolonged contact, particularly involving the Andes strain of hantavirus, which was detected on the cruise ship and is found in parts of Latin America, including areas visited by the Dutch couple before boarding.

The hantavirus-hit cruise ship was scheduled to dock in Rotterdam on Monday for disinfection, with Dutch authorities preparing quarantine arrangements for the remaining 25 crew members and two medical staff on board.

Local authorities said quarantine facilities had been prepared for some non-Dutch crew members, although it remains unclear whether they will complete the full recommended 42-day quarantine period.—MCG, GMA News