Australia Repatriates MV Hondius Passengers After Hantavirus Alert

Australia began repatriating six people from the cruise ship MV Hondius on Tuesday after a hantavirus outbreak, flying them via the Netherlands for a charter trip to Perth, officials said. The group includes four Australian citizens, one Australian permanent resident and one New Zealand citizen. They had been in Tenerife, Spain, and are expected to return to Australia by the end of the week.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the operation required flight crew willing to isolate after the trip and planning for refuelling stops between the Netherlands and Australia. The travellers landed in the Netherlands for a stopover and were taken to a quarantine hotel ahead of the onward flight. Butler said they could remain in the Netherlands for a maximum of 48 hours and were expected to depart within that window.

Medical personnel will accompany the group on the charter flight, which is expected to land at RAAF Base Pearce in Perth. On arrival, the passengers and the charter flight crew will be transported to the Bullsbrook national resilience centre near Perth to begin quarantine.

42-day quarantine with first 21 days at Bullsbrook

The travellers will undergo a 42-day quarantine period, with the first 21 days to be served at Bullsbrook. Officials said none of the repatriated individuals were displaying symptoms of hantavirus as of late Monday night.

Australia’s extended quarantine aligns with World Health Organization guidance that recommends, but does not mandate, a 42-day period because of the virus’s long incubation period. Butler said Australia’s approach was more stringent than measures adopted by most other countries repatriating passengers from the same ship.

Ship operator confirms broader repatriation effort

The ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, confirmed on Monday that guests and some crew from MV Hondius had been repatriated to their home countries or to the Netherlands. Officials said no other Australian citizens or permanent residents were known to be on board.

Authorities said the next milestone will be the group’s arrival in Perth and the start of supervised quarantine, including arrangements for health monitoring during and after the initial 21-day period at Bullsbrook.