Hantavirus cruise ship passengers touch down in Perth

Dressed head-to-toe in bright yellow PPE complete with blue gloves, glasses and face masks, six passengers from a cruise ship struck down by the hantavirus arrived in Perth’s north-east on Friday morning to begin three weeks of quarantine at a purpose-built COVID-era centre.

The four Australians, one permanent resident, and one New Zealander arrived at RAAF Pearce just after 11am WA time, and were soon whisked to the Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience, about a 15-minute drive away, under strict health protocols.

Some of the passengers and the driver waved at waiting media as they arrived at the centre, marking the first time it will be used for its intended purpose since its completion in 2022.

The 500-bed, $400 million quarantine facility was built during the COVID pandemic, but took so long to complete it was never put to use as the requirement for returning residents to quarantine out of home had ended by that point.

The passengers return after disembarking the cruise ship in the Canary Islands. That process was delayed while Australian authorities pushed to find a crew and a country that would allow their plane to stop and refuel on the way back.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the passengers were in good health and had all tested negative for the deadly virus.

“They were subject to an initial health assessment upon landing, although they were also subject to ongoing assessment by a doctor on the plane for the entire flight,” Butler said.

“They will be subject, now they have been transported to the Bullsbrook quarantine facility, to a more detailed health assessment, and that will include another PCR test for the hantavirus.

“There has been no ongoing transmission of the virus detected anywhere in the world so far.”

The passengers and flight crew travelled in full PPE, Butler said, and their three-week quarantine will be reviewed before they are released.

“This is one of the strongest quarantine arrangements for passengers being repatriated from this cruise ship you’ll find anywhere in the world,” Butler said.

“Most countries where passengers are being repatriated are quarantining in a central place for two or three days, and then allowing those passengers to return home. We have taken the decision to take a stronger approach.”

Professor Jaya Dantas, from Curtin University’s School of Population Health, said the virus had a long incubation period and, like other viral infections, symptoms could include fever, pain, aches and breathing difficulties if the lungs became infected.

“It is not a common virus and human to human infection is very rare,” she said.

“At this stage, the risk to WA remains extremely low and we are being vigilant, and monitoring the situation with our strong prevention, biosecurity, and surveillance measures.”

Dr Abrar Chughtai, a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales, said Australia’s approach was broadly similar to the one adopted by the United States.

“Eighteen passengers linked to the outbreak are currently being monitored for hantavirus, with most remaining asymptomatic and in quarantine primarily at the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska, while two others are being monitored at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta,” he said.

“The one passenger who tested positive is being treated in a biocontainment unit in Nebraska.

“The decisions will be made later on whether the asymptomatic passengers should complete quarantine in a medical facility or at home.”