Four Australian citizens, alongside a permanent resident and a New Zealander, are currently undergoing a three-week quarantine at the Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience in Western Australia. They have just received their blood test results.
The federal Health Department has confirmed these individuals are in good health, with further testing only required if symptoms appear.
These travelers were potentially exposed to the Andes virus when a couple boarded their cruise ship after visiting regions in Argentina and Chile, areas known for hosting a rat species that transmits the disease.
The federal government has emphasized that the health and safety of the public, as well as the well-being of the cruise passengers, are top priorities.
Meanwhile, Canada has reported its first case of the virus. Among the four Canadians who were on the cruise, one has been diagnosed with the virus after experiencing mild symptoms.
Local authorities said the group had not come into contact with the public, and the infected patient was in a stable condition.
Three people died after contracting Hantavirus on the MV Hondius luxury cruise ship, sparking a global effort to evacuate and quarantine dozens of passengers and crew.
Rats carry hantavirus, but the World Health Organisation said it believed the Andes strain was capable of human-to-human transmission.
It was the first case of a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler previously said the government was taking a precautionary approach, emphasising that human-to-human transmission of the virus was extremely rare.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.