A deadly, rodent-borne illness known as hantavirus has killed three people and infected others after an outbreak aboard a cruise ship – but Australia could be among the safest places in the world from the deadly disease.

Luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which has 150 people on board, is believed to be the source of the outbreak, and the vessel had been marooned in quarantine off the coast of Cape Verde in West Africa since Sunday.

The boat has since left the coast and is bound for Spain with a plan to dock at the Canary Islands after three people with suspected Hantavirus were evacuated, Reuters reports.

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There are now fears the deadly virus has not been contained to the cruise ship.

One of the three deaths is a 69-year-old Dutch national who disembarked the ship when it stopped on an island off St Helena on April 24.

She then travelled to South Africa.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has confirmed the woman then "briefly" boarded a plane in Johannesburg on April 25.

"Due to the passenger's medical condition at the time, the crew decided not to allow the passenger to travel on the flight," KLM said in a statement.

"The passenger sadly later passed away in Johannesburg."

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is now attempting to conduct contact tracing on this flight and the flight she took to South Africa.

WHO said eight cases of hantavirus – three confirmed and five suspected – have been confirmed on people who were aboard the ship.

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South Africa has since identified 65 people who have been in contact with confirmed or suspected hantavirus cases, while another 12 have been identified in other countries.

Director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at WHO, Maria Van Kerkhove, tempered fears that the hantavirus outbreak was the "next COVID".

"But it is a serious infectious disease," she told Associated Press.

"Most people will never be exposed to this."

So what exactly is hantavirus and how does it spread?

Is there hantavirus in Australia?

Australia is "unique" as it is the only inhabited continent where no confirmed human cases of hantavirus have ever been recorded, the CSIRO says.

But that doesn't mean hantavirus does not exist here.

"However, antibodies to hantavirus have been detected in some Australian rodents, suggesting related viruses are likely present at low levels," CSIRO Senior Communication Advisor, Health and Biosecurity and ACDP Eliza Keck said.

The lack of reported cases in Australia has mystified health officials – and one explanation could be that the Australian strain of the virus is too mild to be diagnosed.

There were four Australians on board the MV Hondius cruise ship, and one of them has reportedly returned home already.

Can hantavirus spread from person to person?

The particular strain of virus detected on MV Hondius is the Andes strain, which is notable for its ability to spread between humans.

According to WHO, human-to-human transmission has been reported in previous outbreaks of Andes virus.

Human hantavirus infection is primarily acquired through contact with the urine, faeces, or saliva of infected rodents.

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How long does it take for hantavirus symptoms to show?

Hantavirus can cause two syndromes: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

Symptoms of hantavirus can vary between the two, but illness onset symptoms include fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that symptoms of HPS usually start to show one to eight weeks after contact with an infected rodent.

Symptoms for HFRS can develop faster, often within one to two weeks of exposure.

Is hantavirus fatal?

The Andres strain of hantavirus can cause a severe lung-focused type of disease, which can be fatal.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) estimates that between 35 to 50 per cent of this virus is fatal.

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Byelections in regional NSW do not usually become national political events.

But as voting day approaches in Farrer, the sprawling rural seat has become one of the most closely watched contests in the country.

Held by the Coalition in one form or another since 1949, it's long been hailed as a safe conservative seat. 

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That 75-year streak faces a historic challenge as the contest to fill Sussan Ley's seat turns into a tight battle.

For voters outside the electorate, Saturday's result could signal where regional Australia – and arguably the country as a whole – is heading politically.

So, why is everyone suddenly talking about Farrer?

What is Farrer?

Farrer is a massive federal electorate covering south-western NSW, stretching from Albury on the Victorian border across the Riverina and out towards the South Australian border.

The second-largest electoral division in NSW, it spans more than 120,000 square kilometres. It takes in Albury, Griffith, Leeton and Deniliquin, alongside smaller farming towns and remote communities.

Since its inception, the seat has been held by either the Liberals or the Nationals, making it one of the Coalition's longstanding regional strongholds. 

In 2026, this is not the case. 

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How did we get here?

The byelection was triggered after former Liberal leader Sussan Ley resigned from parliament after losing the party leadership.

She had held the seat for 25 years but stepped down after being defeated by Angus Taylor in a February leadership spill.

Her departure carved out a rare opening in a seat normally protected by the Coalition agreement between the Liberals and Nationals.

Under that arrangement, the two parties usually avoid competing in certain regional electorates to prevent conservative votes from being split. However, when a seat becomes vacant, this does not apply.

This byelection is also the first major test for the Coalition since Taylor took over the Liberal Party following a period of intense internal friction and two brief splits between the Liberal and National parties.

With the Coalition's primary vote under pressure and One Nation surging in regional polling, Farrer is now a flashpoint.

Who is gunning for the seat?

Twelve names will appear on Saturday's ballot paper, though the contest has largely narrowed to four key contenders. Notably, two of the candidates widely tipped to perform strongly are not from the major parties.

Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe will be one to watch this weekend. 

Having built a powerhouse base in Albury and its surrounds, she enters the race following a surge in the 2025 federal election that cut deeply into Ley's once-impenetrable margin.

One Nation candidate David Farley is gaining traction as the party capitalises on anti-major party frustration in the regions.

It would be remiss not to mention the stakes at play for One Nation – the party has maintained Senate representation federally for years but has never secured a lower house seat. 

The Liberals are fighting to retain the seat with Albury councillor and lawyer Raissa Butkowski.

Meanwhile, the Nationals have put forward former Army colonel Brad Robertson in their first tilt at Farrer in decades.

Why this byelection matters nationally

All eyes are on this byelection to see whether conservative politics can recover its footing after months of infighting and electoral setbacks for the Coalition. 

The outcome here could hint at whether the party is starting to regain public trust or if deeper challenges remain.

The Liberals are trying to prove they can still hold seats without long-serving incumbents carrying them over the line. At the same time, the Nationals want to show they remain the voice of regional Australia.

One Nation sees an opportunity to convert rising support into an actual lower house seat, while independents are on a mission to flip the vote and prove that regional voters are willing to ditch the major parties altogether.

Why the Nationals are such a big part of the story

The Nationals' involvement has added another layer of tension, as Farrer sits in territory that many within the party still regard as voter heartland.

Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer held the seat before Ley, and the Nationals continue to wield power in several neighbouring regional electorates across NSW and Victoria.

Although the Coalition agreement kept the party out of Farrer for years, Ley's resignation reopened the door.

The Nats are vying to reassert themselves in a seat with deep regional roots at a time when support for the major parties is dwindling. 

If they perform badly – particularly if One Nation overtakes them in regional booths that would traditionally lean conservative – questions will no doubt arise about how secure the party's rural base really is heading into the next federal election.

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Why people are calling it a warning sign for the Coalition

Farrer has become a focal point because it captures a problem the Coalition has been battling nationally for years: conservative voters are no longer moving in the same direction.

Some are backing independents focused on local representation, accountability and regional issues. Others are drifting towards parties like One Nation, particularly in communities frustrated by cost-of-living concerns, fuel prices, water policy, and distrust of major parties.

That leaves the Liberals and Nationals squeezed from both sides.

In a general election, those patterns can be harder to spot as attention is spread across dozens of seats. In a single-seat byelection, the trend becomes harder to ignore.

What issues matter most locally?

Water policy looms over almost every conversation in Farrer.

The electorate spans parts of the Murray-Darling Basin, meaning debates over irrigation, water buybacks and agricultural access carry significant political weight across the region.

Regional healthcare, roads, fuel prices, farming and the broader cost of living are also dominating the campaign, particularly in smaller communities where access to services remains a concern.

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Could you beat Donald Trump in a fight? Your answer might depend on your political opinions.

A survey of thousands of Americans by YouGov asked a direct question: "Who do you think would win in a physical fight between you and Donald Trump?" 

Fifty-five per cent of Americans polled said they could beat the president in a fight. 

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Just 19 per cent backed the president over themselves. The rest were undecided.

But people backing themselves over the president were far more likely to be Democrats than Republicans.

Just four per cent of Democratic men thought they would lose a physical fight to Trump, with 82 per cent thinking they would triumph.

Democratic women were almost as bullish, backing themselves over Trump 71-7.

They were substantially more confident than Republican men, who only thought they themselves would prevail by a 46-25 margin.

Only Republican women thought they would lose in a fight to the president, by a 19-55 margin.

Perhaps most embarrassingly for the president, people were asked who would win in a fight between him and an eight-year-old boy.

Trump was backed by 45 per cent of those polled, with 31 per cent tipping the eight-year-old.

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Just 10 per cent of those polled thought Trump could beat the average American in a fight. Sixty-six per cent said the average American would prevail.

The poll was inspired by an exchange between Trump and a young child in the Oval Office this week.

"You think you could take me in a fight?" the president asked the boy.

The poll comes as Trump prepares to host a UFC event on the White House lawn.

The event is being held to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.

"This will be the greatest show on Earth," Trump said.

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"Some people can take a punch and some people can't. And in life, it's always good to be able to do that."

While YouGov is a well-regarded pollster when it comes to forecasting election results, it has been known to ask kooky questions in their surveys.

A 2023 poll asked Americans how confident they would be in landing a passenger plane in an emergency situation.

And a 2021 poll asked people what animals would win in head-to-head fights.

Elephants were deemed the most likely winners while geese were the least backed option.

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Police in both NSW and Victoria say they will assist federal officers with arrests if required.

A Sydney father has been released by his captors 36 hours after being kidnapped on a suburban street in the city's south-west as authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the incident.

The kidnapping took place about 10.30pm on Tuesday in Bass Hill. A white car was seen pulling up to a house before three men kidnapped Albert Harmouche, dragging him into a vehicle and firing a single shot.

The men appeared to pull the 43-year-old out of his car and into a waiting vehicle before speeding off.

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It is understood Harmouche was not shot and was released by the alleged captors following an investigation from the Robbery and Serious Crimes Squad.

9News understands that the kidnappers dropped Harmouche back at his family home in the early hours of this morning, wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

The family later called an ambulance and authorities were notified.

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While it is understood he is known to police, it does not appear he was affiliated with any major gangs.

Authorities are investigating reports that the alleged captors were asking for a ransom of up to $10 million and filmed videos of the victim that were sent to associates.

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