Canadian in isolation tests positive for hantavirus after leaving cruise ship, B.C.'s top doctor says

British Columbia’s top doctor, Dr. Bonnie Henry, confirmed on Saturday that a Canadian patient isolating in the province has presumptively tested positive for hantavirus following their departure from the cruise ship MV Hondius. The individual, part of a Yukon couple, began experiencing mild symptoms—fever and headache—two days prior and was hospitalized in Victoria for testing, which returned a presumptive positive result on Friday. A confirmatory test is pending at a lab in Winnipeg, but the patient is being treated as a positive case and remains stable in isolation. Four Canadians from B.C., Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec are also isolating in the Island Health region after potential exposure, though none had direct contact with the ship’s confirmed cases. The four include a Vancouver Island resident in their 70s, a B.C. resident in their 50s living abroad, and the Yukon couple. Health officials emphasized that all travelers were transferred from Victoria International Airport without public contact and that healthcare workers wore full personal protective equipment. The Andes strain of hantavirus, which has caused three deaths on the MV Hondius, is rarely transmitted between people but can occur in exceptional cases. Symptoms typically appear one to eight weeks after exposure, often linked to inhaling rodent droppings. Dr. Henry noted that hantavirus lacks pandemic potential, unlike respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 or influenza, and urged calm while stressing preparedness. Globally, 11 cases have been confirmed, all among passengers who spent extended time on the cruise ship. The four Canadians isolating in B.C. were among 10 identified as potentially exposed as of May 8, with others from Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec under monitoring. Health authorities continue to track the situation while emphasizing containment measures to prevent further spread.