'More unknowns than knowns' in cruise ship outbreak of Hantavirus

The Radio National Hour · May 5, 2026 · 55m

Four Australians are among dozens of passengers trapped on board a luxury cruise ship that's been refused safe harbour following a suspected outbreak of Hantavirus. One person is confirmed to have died and two other deaths are being investigated. So what is this mystery virus and where does it come from? Sanjaya Senanayake, Associate Professor and Infectious Diseases Specialist with the ANU School of Medicine and Psychology says its a dangerous but rare infection that's usually passed from rodents to humans. The death of a newborn baby in a homeless camp on the banks of the Murrumbidgee in…