Thirty-eight Filipinos aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius have been declared safe against hantavirus following the death of three passengers and reports of critically ill travelers, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Albert Domingo confirmed that the Filipinos among the crew tested negative and showed no signs of illness, according to the World Health Organization’s report. The department said it is coordinating with WHO on the situation.

Medics are reportedly preparing an evacuation plan while the ship remains anchored off Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean.

Hantavirus, a virus linked to rodents, can cause respiratory and cardiac distress or long-term infection. Transmission is typically through contact with contaminated rodent urine, feces, or saliva, while human-to-human transmission is considered rare./DAILY TRIBUNE intern Dannah Macapagal