Australian Passengers Return Home Amid Hantavirus Outbreak Scare

Six people, including four Australians, who were on a Dutch-flagged cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak, returned to Australia. They tested negative for the virus before flying back and will undergo a 42-day quarantine. The World Health Organization stresses that hantavirus is less contagious than COVID-19.

Australian citizens who were aboard a Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship plagued by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have returned to Australia and will isolate for three weeks at a quarantine facility. The group, consisting of four Australian citizens, a permanent resident, and a New Zealander, arrived at an air force base near Perth.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler confirmed that all individuals tested negative and showed no symptoms before boarding in the Netherlands. They will be immediately moved to the quarantine facility next door for additional testing, Butler told Sky News.

The MV Hondius cruise faced daunting circumstances with 11 passengers contracting the virus and three fatalities reported, as per the World Health Organization. WHO has suggested a 42-day quarantine, highlighting that the hantavirus is notably less contagious than COVID-19, posing minimal public risk.