By Patience Gondo
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care says all travellers arriving at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport will undergo health screening following a hantavirus alert linked to an international outbreak.
The measures were announced on Tuesday , after three Zimbabwean healthcare workers returning from Ascension Island were identified as contacts of a confirmed hantavirus case while abroad.
The MoHCC said Port Health Services teams will screen and assess travellers upon arrival at the airport as part of efforts to prevent the possible spread of the virus into Zimbabwe.
“The three returning healthcare workers are currently healthy but will remain under active monitoring for 45 days in line with international health protocols,” said the ministry.
The ministry also said infection prevention and control measures will be enforced during the monitoring process.
“Arrangements ave been made for the travellers to stay at a designated isolation facility,” said MoHCC.
The screening measures follow a hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, where three people reportedly died either onboard or shortly after travelling on the vessel.
According to international health authorities, eight cases linked to the outbreak have so far been identified, including three confirmed cases and five suspected infections.
The World Health Organization says investigations into the source of the outbreak are continuing.
Hantavirus is commonly spread through contact with infected rodents, although person to person transmission remains rare.