Health Minister insists hantavirus ‘doesn’t have pandemic potential’, reveals repatriation flight bound for WA

Mark Butler says a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship off Spain doesn’t have “pandemic potential” and doctors have urged calm, as a repatriation flight of six passengers heads for Perth and the disused quarantine centre in Bullsbrook.

The Health Minister announced on Monday that the group from the infected MV Hondius — anchored off Spain’s Canary Islands — will commence a three-week quarantine when they arrive at the RAAF Pearce air base.

He said the risk of spread to the public is low.

“I want to stress that our primary responsibility as a Government, obviously, is to keep our community safe and healthy,” Mr Butler said.

“We also have a responsibility to those passengers, to bring them home and to protect them from any risk, no matter how small.”

Australian Medical Association WA President Kyle Hoath said there’s no cause for alarm.

“No need to panic, (or) go out there and buy toilet paper just yet,” he said.

He’s confident it can be managed, but Dr Hoath said there’s a lot about the hantavirus that is unknown.

“There’s certainly no experience in Australia with dealing with this kind of virus, so we don’t know how much of a problem it’ll be,” he said.

“To the best of our knowledge, transmission of the hantavirus requires very close contact, so it’s not as readily spread as something like Covid.

“People also don’t spread the hantavirus unless they’re symptomatic.”

The six passengers include three people from New South Wales and two from Queensland, of which four are citizens and one is a permanent resident. One New Zealander will also quarantine in Bullsbrook.

The $400 million facility was built in 2022 as the Covid pandemic subsided and has only been used once before, as an emergency shelter during a bushfire in December 2023.

Mr Butler said while three people have died and eight have been infected from the virus-stricken vessel near Tenerife — human to human transmission of the virus was “very difficult”.

“It is not a virus with pandemic potential, and transmission is very difficult, human to human. But that does not mean that there is not a risk of transmission,” he said during a Canberra press conference.

“Transmission of this virus can have very, very serious, including deadly consequences.”

Mr Butler said the group travelling to Perth were currently not displaying symptoms but vowed there would be regular testing throughout the 42 day incubation period.

Once the group undertakes the scheduled three week quarantine period in WA, health authorities will then evaluate the arrangements going forward.

Mr Butler said that a private contractor would be appointed to assist the repatriated passengers during their stay in WA.

“We want to do everything possible to make sure this is as comfortable a trip and quarantine period as is possible,” he said.

Tests taken from the group in WA will be flown to Melbourne’s Doherty Institute, which is the only facility able to undertake the PCR or serology testing for hantavirus.

Mr Butler said he made “no apology” for Australia’s response being “one of the stronger responses you will see around the world”.

He said while other nations were placing passengers in facilities for three to four days, Australia’s three week period was seen as a “precautionary approach”.

“A distinguishing factor for Australia though, is that these passengers will have to come home on quite a long flight from Tenerife,” he said. “Unlike traveling just to the UK, for example, probably in a relatively small plane with a higher risk of transmission during transit.”

The Minister said while he was working with NSW, Queensland and WA counterparts over the group — the Commonwealth would be responsible for any costs related to their quarantine.

It includes footing the bill for the New Zealand passenger as part of a “good, brotherly, sisterly relations with our friends over the ditch”.

Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti also fanned down community concerns over the group on Monday, insisting they pose “no risk” to the public.