NZ passenger leaves quarantine after cruise ship virus outbreak

One New Zealander and five Australians have been released from a Perth facility after six weeks of isolation following their exposure to a hantavirus outbreak that killed three people.

Reviewed by Rakai 26 June 2026

A New Zealand passenger held in quarantine after exposure to a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship has left isolation and is returning home.

The passenger and five Australians departed a quarantine facility near Perth early Tuesday morning after spending six weeks in isolation. The MV Hondius outbreak resulted in 13 hantavirus cases and three deaths.

Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said the group had remained healthy throughout their quarantine and continued testing negative for the virus. "We're very confident that these six passengers are completely free of this virus," he said.