Canada confirms hantavirus case linked to cruise ship outbreak that has killed three passengers

Canadian health officials have confirmed one case of hantavirus in a traveler returning from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is linked to an international outbreak of Andes hantavirus that has resulted in three deaths. This confirmation brings the total number of individuals from the ship who have tested positive to ten, according to reports. While four Canadians returned from the cruise, only one tested positive. The World Health Organization has identified eleven cases connected to the outbreak, including confirmed, probable, and inconclusive results, with three fatalities. The Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to have person-to-person transmission, though it is rare. Global health officials are monitoring the situation, and while no confirmed U.S. cases are reported, one U.S. passenger had inconclusive test results.

Canadian officials announced on Saturday that one of four Canadians who returned from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has received a "presumptive positive" test result. The individual, part of a couple in their 70s, began experiencing mild symptoms like fever and headache two days prior and is currently hospitalized in Victoria, in isolation and stable condition. While a second person from the group showed minor symptoms, their tests were negative. Confirmation of the presumptive positive case is pending results from the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg. Bonnie Henry, the public health officer for British Columbia, stated that this outcome was anticipated and planned for.

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.