Australia to quarantine six people from hantavirus‑hit cruise ship
Australian authorities will place six people evacuated from a hantavirus hit cruise ship into a purpose built quarantine facility north of Perth for a minimum of three weeks. The six passengers, five Australians and one New Zealander, are being flown home on a government charter after weeks aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch flagged luxury expedition ship linked to a cluster of deadly hantavirus infections. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the group will be taken directly from their aircraft to the Bullsbrook quarantine centre, near RAAF Base Pearce, and kept away from the general public throughout their stay. None of the six currently shows symptoms of hantavirus, but officials describe the move as a “precautionary approach” given the virus’s long incubation period, which can stretch up to six to eight weeks. During quarantine, the passengers will undergo regular health […]
