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. The individual, one of four people isolating on Vancouver Island after leaving the ship, had developed mild symptoms. The province's senior health officer said the four had not had any contact with the public since arriving in Canada. The case brings the total number of infections to 11, all among cruise passengers."

"British Columbia health officer Bonnie Henry said the person's test came back as a presumptive positive on Friday, meaning that it still remains to be confirmed by a national microbiology lab. "Clearly, this is not what we hoped for, but it is what we planned for," she said, quoted by national broadcaster CBC. "I want to emphasise that hantavirus is a very different virus than the other respiratory viruses that we've been dealing with - like Covid, like influenza, like measles - and it remains one that we do not consider to have pandemic potential," Dr Henry added."

"Of the six Canadians who were on the Dutch ship, two are self-isolating at their home in Ontario. Two more couples are isolating on Vancouver Island, one from British Columbia and the other from Yukon. The person who tested positive is from Yukon. None of the other five have tested positive so far. The cruise ship, which set sail from Argentina on 1 April, finally docked in Tenerife, in Spain's Canary Islands, less than a week ago, allowing its 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries to leave and go into isolation."

"The WHO has recommended 42 days of isolation for each person. The Canadians were initially required to isolate for 21 days but Dr Henry said that timeline could now be adjusted. Hantaviruses are usually carried by rodents, but human tran"

A Canadian who left the MV Hondius after a hantavirus outbreak in April tested presumptively positive for the disease. The person was one of four individuals isolating on Vancouver Island after arriving in Canada and had developed mild symptoms. British Columbia health officials said the four had not had contact with the public since arriving. The presumptive result was returned by provincial testing and still required confirmation by a national microbiology lab. The total number of infections connected to the cruise reached 11, all among passengers. Three travelers from the ship have died, with two confirmed to have had the virus. The ship’s 147 passengers and crew were allowed to disembark in Tenerife and isolate, with WHO guidance recommending 42 days.

Read at www.bbc.com