Home / Health / Hantavirus Ship Evacuees Fly Home to Perth
Hantavirus Ship Evacuees Fly Home to Perth
11 May
Summary
- Five Australians repatriated from virus-hit ship.
- Charter flight lands in Perth with medical personnel.
- Hantavirus is rodent-borne, human transmission is rare.
A charter flight carrying five Australian citizens and one permanent resident, evacuated from the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius, is scheduled to land in Perth on Tuesday. Medical personnel will travel with the group to provide monitoring and assistance.
The ship, which had 146 people on board, arrived in Tenerife following an outbreak where three individuals died and eight became ill. Passengers and crew were confined to their cabins to prevent further spread of the virus.
The Australian government emphasized its priority is the safety of passengers and the community, working closely with state authorities for arrival, health, and transport arrangements. Upon landing in Perth, the evacuated individuals will be moved directly to designated quarantine locations without public contact.
Hantavirus, a group of viruses transmitted by rodents, can cause serious human infections, though the World Health Organization notes that human-to-human transmission is rare and the global threat remains low.
