CANBERRA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Australians repatriated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius will undergo quarantine at a facility in Perth for at least three weeks, Health Minister Mark Butler said Monday, confirming none show symptoms.
Four Australian citizens and one permanent resident are among six departing Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands on a government-chartered flight to Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, with medical staff monitoring en route. A New Zealand citizen is included, with cost-sharing talks ongoing.
The group will transfer to the Bullsbrook quarantine facility. Butler noted this covers part of hantavirus's up to 42-day incubation. Further advice from the chief health officers will determine extensions beyond three weeks.
The MV Hondius docked in Tenerife on Sunday. Those onboard had been confined to cabins to limit transmission.
Hantaviruses spread via infected rodents and cause severe respiratory or kidney issues. Australia reports no prior human cases.
"The risk of hantavirus to the Australian and global population remains low," the Australian Centre for Disease Control said in a statement on Friday. ■