The Philippine Department of Health has confirmed that none of the 38 Filipino crewmen aboard a cruise ship currently under quarantine in Cape Verde are showing any signs of illness linked to hantavirus.
DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo cited international health protocols in providing the update. “Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Health Regulations, there are no reported illnesses among the passengers and crew so far,” he said on Tuesday, May 5.
Hantavirus, a rare disease transmitted through contact with infected rodent urine or droppings, has not been recorded in the Philippines. “In the Philippines, we have no recorded cases,” Domingo said.
The WHO has identified the disease’s hallmark symptoms as fever, gastrointestinal illness, pneumonia, and severe respiratory distress — none of which have been reported among those on board.
