A Tricky Journey Home: Hantavirus Cruise Passengers Head for Perth Quarantine

A small group of Australians and a New Zealander who were aboard a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak are finally making their way home, though the route has taken an unexpected turn. After a last-minute change of plans, the travelers flew from Tenerife to the Netherlands instead of returning directly to Australia. They landed in Amsterdam on Tuesday morning, Australian time, and were met at a safe distance by the Australian ambassador, Greg French. From there, they were taken to a quarantine hotel before boarding a charter flight later this week for the final leg to Perth. Once back on Australian soil, they will spend the first three weeks of a 42-day quarantine at the Bullsbrook national resilience centre, just outside Perth. The flight crew that brings them home will also have to isolate there. Health Minister Mark Butler described the operation as a difficult arrangement, noting the need for willing crew, refueling stops, and quarantine facilities ready to go. The six passengers—four Australians, one permanent resident, and one New Zealander—are not showing any symptoms of hantavirus, which can cause severe flu-like illness and, in rare cases, death. The World Health Organization recommends the extended 42-day quarantine due to the virus's long incubation period. Butler said Australia’s approach is probably the strongest of any country taking passengers from the ship, with most nations requiring only a few days of centralized quarantine. The travelers are expected to be back in Australia by the end of the week, with medical staff on board the flight. Meanwhile, 25 crew members remain on the MV Hondius, along with the body of a German guest who died on May 2.