Canadian public health officials announced Saturday that a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested presumptive positive for the Andes hantavirus, a rare rodent-borne disease.
The patient, a Canadian, was one of four high-risk individuals from British Columbia who were self-isolating and being monitored. This is the only known strain of hantavirus that can spread between humans.
Globally, the death toll from this outbreak remains at three. The patient and their spouse, who has minor symptoms, were transported to a hospital on Friday for isolation. A third individual was also transferred for assessment.
Authorities stress the overall risk to the Canadian public remains low. There are no specific treatments or vaccines for hantavirus, but health officials have dismissed comparisons to COVID-19.