British Columbia’s top doctor is set to provide an update Saturday on a group of Canadians isolating after returning from an Antarctic cruise ship linked to a rare strain of hantavirus.
Dr. Bonnie Henry is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. Pacific Time about Canadians isolating in B.C. following their return from the MV Hondius. The World Health Organization identified the Andes strain of hantavirus in passengers aboard the ship. Unlike most forms, the Andes strain can spread person-to-person.
Nine travellers in Canada-in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia-have been classified as high-risk exposure cases and instructed to self-isolate. Four of those are in B.C., where Henry previously warned they were entering a critical phase of the incubation period. Ontario health officials said three passengers there are not being tested because screening would not yet produce reliable results. Alberta confirmed two travellers isolating at home.
Canada’s chief public health officer, Joss Reimer, earlier reported that 26 people across Canada are being monitored for symptoms after sharing flights with a confirmed case. The WHO says the overall public risk remains low.