A Canadian resident who sailed on the MV Hondius cruise ship has become the first person in North America to test positive for hantavirus. Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia's provincial health officer, announced on Saturday that one of four Canadians isolating in the province after disembarking the ship received a presumptive positive test result.
Details of the Case
The unidentified individual is part of a couple in their 70s from Yukon who have been isolating since returning to Canada on May 10. They developed mild symptoms, including fever and headache, on Thursday. A test late Friday evening came back positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus, later confirmed by the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
The other member of the couple had minor symptoms but tested negative. 'The patient is stable, symptoms remain mild, and they are in hospital isolation, monitored and receiving care,' Henry said.
Other Passengers
A third cruise passenger in isolation in British Columbia, also in their 70s, has been transferred to hospital for assessment as a precaution. A fourth person from British Columbia in their 50s who lives abroad continues to isolate at home.
Those hospitalized are in negative pressure rooms, said Dr. Reka Gustafson of Island Health Authority, assuring the public that hospitals are prepared. Henry noted infection control precautions were in place from the moment the passengers arrived.
Public Health Response
Henry stated, 'I'm confident there's no additional risk to anybody else outside of the people who've been caring for these individuals. They have no contact with the public, and healthcare workers use well-established protocols to protect themselves, other patients, and visitors.'
The Public Health Agency of Canada echoed that the overall risk to the general population remains low. 'All confirmed cases to date have been passengers or crew on the MV Hondius. Given the severity of this virus, we are taking a precautionary approach,' the agency said.
The four Canadian passengers have been isolating on Vancouver Island for at least 21 days. Officials are considering how long they will need to quarantine. 'We will be following the four individuals daily, actively for at least 42 days,' Henry said.
Broader Monitoring
Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Joss Reimer, previously said 26 people across the country were asked to monitor symptoms after sharing a flight with someone who tested positive. Nine others were classified as high-risk and told to isolate in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.
This confirmed case marks the 12th linked to the cruise worldwide, including three deaths. The outbreak is believed to have started after a Dutch couple contracted the virus while bird watching in Argentina.
Virus Characteristics
The Andes strain has been linked to previous human-to-human transmission, though the virus normally spreads via contact with rodent droppings. France's Pasteur Institute fully sequenced the virus from a French passenger and found it matched known South American viruses, with no new characteristics making it more transmissible or dangerous.
In the United States, the CDC is monitoring 41 Americans across 16 states with potential exposure. One American doctor who treated ill passengers on the ship tested positive but has since tested negative three times. About half are monitored at quarantine centers in Georgia and Nebraska, while the rest isolate at home.
Admiral Brian Christine, leading the U.S. hantavirus response, said the risk to Americans is 'very, very low' and promised a response 'grounded in science and transparency.'
