90-Second Read: First Australian Hantavirus cruise ship passenger speaks from quarantine

The first Australian to speak publicly about being onboard the Hantavirus-struck cruise ship has shared his experience after spending five weeks in a quarantine facility in Western Australia. Australian passenger Peter Marsh, who spoke exclusively to the ABC from inside the Western Australian quarantine centre, said he had no bad feelings about how things had played out. The group's quarantine period is due to end next Tuesday, and the passengers are expected to fly to their homes in New South Wales and Queensland. Four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and one New Zealander were repatriated to Australia on May 15, after an outbreak of the rodent-borne illness on the MV Hondius.

The first person who died, obviously, was the person who brought the virus onto the ship, but he had no knowledge that was going to happen, and he had no symptoms when he got on the ship and he paid the ultimate price. Initially, it was all he had hoped it to be, but then passengers started getting sick. Peter Marsh and five other passengers from the ship arrived back in Australia a month ago. We actually have two one-hour slots each day, and those slots progress through the week.

And the (cruise company), once they became aware of what was going on, they worked assiduously to minimise the risk for the rest of us. It became clear that this was potentially a virus that could spread to all of us, and we were all acutely aware that it was able to kill people. From the Spanish island, they were flown to the Netherlands, then repatriated to Australia to begin their six weeks of quarantine at the COVID-era quarantine facility. Peter Marsh was drawn to the Atlantic cruise odyssey to see birds like the Ascension frigatebird.

It's something that we did on the boat, obviously, but we can still do here at the centre, and it really is a wonderful relaxant and mind cleanser. After so long away, Mr Marsh cannot wait to see his family and what comes with it.