Canada has confirmed its first case of Andes hantavirus in a Yukon resident currently isolating in British Columbia. The patient developed mild symptoms-fever and headache-and was transferred to a Victoria hospital for assessment.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed the initial presumptive positive, later verified by Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory. The patient's partner tested negative.
Four Canadians were isolated after exposure aboard an Antarctic cruise ship. A third individual has been hospitalized as a precaution; the fourth remains in home isolation. The World Health Organization says the Andes strain can transmit person-to-person, unlike most hantaviruses. Overall public risk remains low. Nine Canadians with high-risk exposure are monitoring in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. Another 27 are being tracked after sharing flights with a confirmed case.