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Philippines readies for return of Filipino crew from hantavirus-hit MV Hondius
Unlike in 2020 when Covid-19 spread like wildfire in the Philippines, health authorities assured hantavirus would be contained. They added the Filipino sailors will be cleared in a few weeks’ time_
- PUBLISHED: Tue 12 May 2026, 12:19 PM
More than half of the crew of the hantavirus-stricken ship MV Hondius in the Atlantic Ocean are Filipinos and the Philippine government is getting ready for their eventual return.
Twenty-four stewards and hotel staff of the Antartic cruise ship had disembarked from the Canary Islands have been flown to The Netherlands for a six-week quarantine. They are expected to return to the Philippines in July. The remaining 14 other crew members who are deck and engine staff are remaining on the ship to help sail it to the port of Rotterdam.
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The country’s Department of Health (DoH) assured he public it is monitoring and preparing for any eventuality when the 38 crewmembers return. The agency hastened to add that the sailors would be most likely cleared in a few weeks’ time and would not pose any danger to the local health situation.
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DoH spokesperson Albert Domingo said there is no known hantavirus case in the Philippines as yet. This early, however, health authorities are coordinating with the country’s Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) he described as “quietly protecting [Philippine] borders 24 hours a day while we sleep."
Unlike in the first quarter of 2020 when Covid-19 spread like wildfire in the Philippines, DoH said it anticipates that hantavirus would be contained. The World Health Organization (WHO) itself currently assesses the risk to the global population from the MV Hondius event as “low.” So far, WHO reported seven cases, including three deaths, one critically ill patient and three individuals reporting mild symptoms who were aboard the ship.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that cause a range of illnesses, including severe disease and death. Its American variant can cause severe respiratory illness, with a case fatality rate up to 50 per cent. In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
It is carried by rodents that infect humans through contact with their urine, droppings or saliva.
Because it has a higher death rate among the infected, the Philippines is not taking any chances with the new virus this time. DoH is asking laboratories to prepare should any hantavirus case is reported in the country.
“We have the PCR (thermal cycle) machines, which we used back in the [COVID] pandemic. We just have to change the primer,” Domingo said. There are three institutions in the country are also equipped with an electron microscope, which can help identify the virus while waiting for the PCR primer, he added.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported that none of the Filipino MV Hondius crewmembers are showing signs of having been infected. The agency is coordinating with the DoH and the Department of Foreign Affairs in monitoring their condition during their quarantine in The Netherlands.
The DMW said it is reviewing safety protocols for Filipino seafarers following the incident. The Philippines is the world's largest supplier of sea-based workers, comprising of up to 30 per cent of the 1.5 million international mariners worldwide.
As in the case of the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, Filipino crew members are predominantly found in customer-facing hospitality roles, including dining, cabin service, bar, and entertainment, as well as in technical positions.