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From cruise to quarantine: is Australia at risk of hantavirus?
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From cruise to quarantine: is Australia at risk of hantavirus?

Joanne Macdonald and Matt Mason
UniSC News, Vol.14 May 2026
University of the Sunshine Coast
2026
url
https://www.unisc.edu.au/about/unisc-news/news-archive/2026/may/from-cruise-to-quarantine-is-australia-at-risk-of-hantavirusView
Published Version Open

Abstract

Amid public concern about the potential for the deadly hantavirus to occur in Australia, it has been reported that five Australian passengers from the affected cruise ship – two believed to be from Queensland – will be quarantined in Perth for three weeks. Senior academics from the University of the Sunshine Coast discuss the issue from the disciplines of microbiology and nursing (infection prevention and control). They say that while risks for everyday Australians remain low at this stage, Australian healthcare workers must remain vigilant for imported cases, as their direct contact with patients and clinical specimens places them at highest risk of exposure.

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