Australia: Australia on Tuesday confirmed that all six hantavirus cruise ship passengers are “in good health,” and will be placed in quarantine upon their return home. Health Minister Mark Butler, speaking in an interview with ABC News, detailed the logistics of their journey and the nation’s response to the potential health threat.
According to Anadolu Agency, the group, consisting of five Australians and one New Zealander from the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius, is expected to first arrive in the Netherlands. From there, they will continue their journey back to Australia. Butler noted that they were scheduled to land at 8.10 am local time, after which they would be transported to a hotel quarantine facility while arrangements for their flight from the Netherlands to Australia are finalized.
The minister acknowledged the complexity involved in organizing the flights, describing it as “a difficult task.” He assured that the passengers would be back in Australia over the course of the week. The Australian government is coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs to secure flights with crews willing to isolate after transporting these passengers.
Upon their arrival in Western Australia, the passengers will be taken to a dedicated quarantine facility for an approximately three-week period. Following this, authorities will determine any additional monitoring required during the virus’ 42-day incubation period. Butler emphasized that Australia’s quarantine measures exceed those adopted by most other countries repatriating cruise passengers, many of which enforce only a few days of centralized quarantine followed by home isolation.
The outbreak, involving the Andes strain of hantavirus, has led to five confirmed cases and three deaths, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Scientists have identified the outbreak as being caused by the rare Andes variant, which is the only strain known to allow human-to-human transmission, typically through close contact. The WHO noted that two of the deceased passengers had traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before embarking on the cruise ship.