Canadian from hantavirus-hit cruise ship tests positive

A Canadian passenger who sailed on the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested positive for hantavirus, officials in British Columbia announced. This individual is one of four former passengers who have been isolating on Vancouver Island after disembarking. The case is a presumptive positive, pending confirmation by a national laboratory. The outbreak on the ship has resulted in 11 infections among passengers, with three deaths reported, two of which are confirmed hantavirus cases. Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry stated that the four individuals on Vancouver Island have had no public contact since arriving in Canada and emphasized that hantavirus does not have pandemic potential.

Canada has confirmed its first presumptive case of hantavirus in a Canadian individual who was on board the MV Hondius cruise ship, the site of a recent outbreak. The person, who developed mild symptoms including fever and headache, is currently in isolation in a Victoria hospital. This individual and their partner, who also traveled on the ship, were among four Canadians who arrived in Victoria on May 10th and began a quarantine period. While the partner tested negative, both remain hospitalized for monitoring. Three deaths, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, have been linked to the outbreak on the MV Hondius since April 11th.