Australia extends quarantine for 6 cruise passengers linked to hantavirus

Six cruise ship passengers in Western Australia have had their quarantine extended to late June after new hantavirus cases were reported among people linked to the same voyage, authorities said on Thursday.



The six passengers -- four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and one New Zealand national -- have been in quarantine at a national facility near Perth, state capital of Western Australia, since May 15.



Their isolation period will now run until June 23, covering the full 42-day incubation window for the virus, Health Minister Mark Butler told a press conference.



The decision followed confirmation of two additional hantavirus infections overseas involving a crew member and a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship, bringing the total number of cases tied to the vessel to 13, Butler said.



All six individuals in Australia have tested negative and remain asymptomatic, Butler said, but authorities are acting on advice from public health experts and the World Health Organization that the risk of delayed onset has not been eliminated, the minister said.



Hantavirus is a rare but potentially serious disease typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents. Human-to-human transmission is uncommon, depending on the strain.



Australian officials said the extended quarantine was a precautionary measure to minimize any potential public health risk.