A Canadian passenger returning from the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested positive for the Andes hantavirus. The Public Health Agency of Canada announced Saturday that one of four Canadians quarantining in British Columbia after exposure to the virus has received a presumptive positive test result.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer, stated that the individual developed mild symptoms, including a fever and headache, two days ago. The person and their partner, who had been isolating together, were transferred to a hospital in Victoria for assessment and testing. The individual is currently in stable condition.
The MV Hondius was the center of an outbreak that has claimed three lives. Despite this, Canada's public health agency stressed that the overall risk to the general population in Canada from the Andes hantavirus outbreak remains low at this time.