Canadian MV Hondius Passenger Tests Positive For Andes Hantavirus, Public Health Agency Confirms

A Canadian passenger from the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius cruise ship tested positive for the Andes hantavirus, with the Public Health Agency of Canada saying laboratory testing by the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg confirmed the result after samples were sent from British Columbia.

“Canadian from hantavirus-hit cruise ship tests positive 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 the province of British Columbia say”

BBC

NBC News reported the Public Health Agency of Canada announced Saturday that the individual was hospitalized Thursday along with their spouse, who was also experiencing mild symptoms, and both would remain in isolation at the hospital.

BBC

The BBC said British Columbia health officer Bonnie Henry described the test as a "presumptive positive" on Friday before it was confirmed by a national microbiology lab.

The BBC also said the case brought the total number of infections to 11, all among cruise passengers, and that three people who travelled on the ship have died, with two confirmed to have had the virus.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said the overall risk to the general population in Canada from the Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship remains low at this time, while taking a precautionary approach to ensure Canadians are protected.

NBC News said the agency was following prevention and control protocols and that results were expected in two days, while the BBC said the province’s senior health officer said the four had not had any contact with the public since arriving in Canada.

CBC

In Washington state, the NBC News report said health officials were investigating six potential cases of Andes hantavirus, five of which involve people on an international flight with a Hondius passenger who was later diagnosed with the disease.

The BBC said the WHO has recommended 42 days of isolation for each person, and that Canadians were initially required to isolate for 21 days before Henry said the timeline could now be adjusted.

USA Today said Canada’s presumptive case was tied to an outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius, and it cited the World Health Organization’s report of 10 total cases linked to the outbreak globally, including three deaths.

USA Today also reported that WHO officials said May 15 the total was revised from 11 to 10 cases after a previously inconclusive test involving an American passenger later came back negative.

AP, as carried by KYOU-TV, said the Canadian patient is the 10th person from the ship to test positive and that the four Canadian cruise passengers returned to British Columbia last Sunday, with all four in isolation.

KYOU-TV further reported that the Canadian public health agency said it is taking a precautionary approach to ensure citizens are protected and that it provided the information about the positive case to the World Health Organization to support the ongoing global investigation of the outbreak.