New Case Linked to MV Hondius Outbreak
A Canadian passenger who travelled aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius during a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the disease, health officials in British Columbia confirmed.
The individual, from Yukon, was among four Canadians isolating on Vancouver Island after returning from the cruise. Officials said the person developed only mild symptoms and had not come into contact with the public since arriving in Canada.
British Columbia’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said the test result is currently considered a “presumptive positive” and still requires confirmation by Canada’s national microbiology laboratory.
“Clearly, this is not what we hoped for, but it is what we planned for,” Dr. Henry said. She also stressed that hantavirus differs greatly from highly contagious respiratory illnesses such as Covid-19, influenza, or measles and is not considered to have pandemic potential.
The latest case raises the total number of infections linked to the ship to 11. Three passengers have died, with two confirmed to have contracted the virus.
Among the six Canadians who were on board the Dutch-operated vessel, two are isolating in Ontario, while two couples are quarantining on Vancouver Island. So far, none of the other five Canadians have tested positive.
The MV Hondius departed Argentina on 1 April and spent weeks at sea before docking in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where its 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries were finally allowed to disembark and begin isolation.
The World Health Organization has recommended a 42-day isolation period for passengers because the Andes strain of hantavirus — believed to have been contracted in South America — can spread between humans, although such transmission is rare.
Hantaviruses are typically spread through contact with infected rodents. Symptoms may include fever, severe fatigue, muscle pain, stomach problems, vomiting, diarrhoea, and breathing difficulties.
Health authorities continue to say the likelihood of a large-scale outbreak remains very low.
