Passengers from hantavirus cruise land in Australia
Passengers of a cruise ship affected by the rare and deadly hantavirus have landed in Australia ahead of a three-week quarantine.
Four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and one New Zealander, who were evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius, landed at Pearce RAAF Base near Perth at around 1pm on Friday.
The group will be quarantined for at least three weeks at the National Resilience Center next to the base.
Health Minister Mark Butler said all passengers were in good health and did not show any symptoms as of Thursday.
Three of the passengers live in NSW and the other two live in Queensland.
It is unclear when they will be allowed to return home as their quarantine could be extended on the advice of chief medical officers.
Erin Price, associate professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, said that the biggest risk to Australians was not posed by this group, but rather by those who were exposed to hantavirus and could not quarantine.
“The concern is actually for people traveling,” Prof Price told AAP.
“Some of the passengers on this cruise ship got off the ship and traveled to many parts of the world before the outbreak was detected.
“This is a real concern.”
The ship MV Hondius docked in Tenerife on Sunday after three people died and others tested positive for the virus, which is transmitted through contact with infected rodents.
The Andean form of the hantavirus that caused the outbreak on the cruise ship can be transmitted from person to person through body fluids such as saliva, blood and urine.
People have been asked to wear P2 respirators, also known as N95 masks, to prevent them from breathing in virus particles in public spaces such as airplanes.
Emphasizing the importance of respirators, Prof Price said that blue surgical masks will not stop any virus.
As the virus is also sensitive to alcohol-based hand antiseptics, Prof Price recommended regular washing of hands with soap, wiping down surfaces and other regular hygiene practices such as washing clothes and showering after the flight.
Prof Price said symptoms could appear between one and eight weeks after exposure and the window of infection was believed to be four days, including two days during which those affected may be asymptomatic.
While hantavirus is not as contagious as COVID-19, its long incubation period can still cause problems, sparking calls for governments to provide clear, consistent and science-based messaging to reduce risks.
Early symptoms are flu-like and include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, chills, or dizziness.
Some passengers on the cruise also experienced gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.
If the virus becomes severe, those infected may experience shortness of breath as their lungs fill with fluid, leading to low oxygen levels, low blood pressure, heart problems and sometimes death.
