A Canadian who sailed on the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was hit by a hantavirus outbreak in April, has tested positive for the disease, officials in British Columbia say.
The individual, one of four people isolating on Vancouver Island after leaving the ship, developed mild symptoms. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the test is a presumptive positive, pending confirmation by a national lab. Henry emphasized hantavirus does not have pandemic potential like COVID-19 or influenza.
This brings the total number of infections to 11, all among cruise passengers. Three people who traveled on the ship have died, with two confirmed to have had the virus.
Six Canadians were on the Dutch ship. Two are self-isolating in Ontario. Two more couples are isolating on Vancouver Island-one from British Columbia, the other from Yukon. The person who tested positive is from Yukon. None of the other five have tested positive so far.
The ship set sail from Argentina on April 1 and docked in Tenerife, Spain, less than a week ago, allowing its 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries to leave and isolate. The WHO recommends 42 days of isolation for each person. The Canadians were initially required to isolate for 21 days, but that timeline may be adjusted.
Hantaviruses are usually carried by rodents, but human transmission of the Andes strain-which the WHO believes some passengers contracted in South America-is possible. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and shortness of breath. Officials say the risk of a major outbreak is very low.
