A Canadian individual has tested positive for hantavirus after being exposed on the cruise ship MV Hondius, where an outbreak occurred. This was announced by Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer, during a news conference on Saturday. The individual, who is one of four Canadians quarantined in British Columbia, showed mild symptoms including fever and headache two days prior. Both the affected person and their partner, who was also aboard the cruise, were taken to a hospital in Victoria for evaluation and testing. Dr. Henry emphasized that the result is currently a “presumptive positive” and awaits confirmation from the national microbiology lab in Winnipeg over the weekend.
Dr. Henry reassured the public by stating, “Clearly this is not what we hoped for, but it is what we planned for.” She noted that the patient remains stable with mild symptoms, under hospital isolation and care. The partner of the infected individual tested negative but will stay in the hospital for further monitoring. To ensure safety, a third individual who was isolating with the couple has also been moved to the hospital for observation, while the fourth person continues to isolate at home under daily observation.
The four Canadians had arrived in Victoria on May 10 after being on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius. Upon arrival, they showed no symptoms but were placed in a mandatory quarantine for at least 21 days. Concurrently, France’s Pasteur Institute has fully sequenced the Andes virus found in a French passenger from the cruise, finding it matched viruses known in South America. There is no current evidence to suggest this strain is more transmissible or dangerous than previously known strains.
The Pasteur Institute’s genomic analysis indicated the virus in the French passenger was consistent with those found in other cases on the ship and was closely related to known Andes virus samples from South America, particularly those in rodents. Jean-Claude Manuguerra, head of the environment and infectious risk unit at Pasteur, explained that the remaining variation appears to be natural and does not alter the virus’s characteristics among the travelers.
Since April 11, three fatalities have occurred due to suspected hantavirus infections from the ship, including a Dutch couple and a German woman. The situation highlights the importance of thorough monitoring and precautionary measures as health officials manage the outbreak’s impact on those exposed during the cruise.