Australia extends quarantine for 6 cruise passengers linked to hantavirus outbreak

Australian officials said the extended quarantine was a precautionary step to reduce public health risks. File Pic

Six cruise ship passengers in Western Australia have had their quarantine extended to late June after new hantavirus cases were reported among people linked to the same voyage, authorities said on Thursday.

The six passengers -- four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and one New Zealand national -- have been in quarantine at a national facility near Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, since May 15.

Their isolation period will now run until June 23, covering the full 42-day incubation window for the virus, Health Minister Mark Butler told a press conference, reports Xinhua news agency.

The decision followed confirmation of two additional hantavirus infections overseas involving a crew member and a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship, bringing the total number of cases tied to the vessel to 13, Butler said.

All six individuals in Australia have tested negative and remain asymptomatic, Butler said, but authorities are acting on advice from public health experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) that the risk of delayed onset has not been eliminated, the minister said.

Hantavirus is a rare but potentially serious disease typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents. Human-to-human transmission is uncommon, depending on the strain.

Australian officials said the extended quarantine was a precautionary measure to minimise any potential public health risk.

Earlier on Wednesday, the WHO announced that the number of hantavirus cases linked to a cruise ship at the centre of an outbreak has increased to 13.

"Spain reported a new case among the passengers who are in quarantine, which brings the total number of cases to 13," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.

There are no new deaths reported since May 2; the total number of deaths remains three out of 13 reported cases so far, Tedros said.

"The situation remains stable. Passengers who got sick are receiving needed care, while others remain in quarantine," Tedros said, noting that WHO is in close contact with all the relevant governments.

Previously, a hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius raised fears. However, WHO has said that the overall risk to the public remains low, and has recommended that all evacuated passengers undergo active health monitoring for 42 days from their last exposure date, either in designated quarantine facilities or at home, with the monitoring period lasting until June 21.

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