In a recent development, Canadian health officials announced that one of four Canadians quarantined in British Columbia tested presumptive positive for hantavirus after exposure aboard a cruise ship where an outbreak had occurred. Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer for British Columbia, stated during a press briefing that the individual displayed mild symptoms such as fever and headache, prompting their transfer to a hospital in Victoria alongside their partner for further evaluation and testing.
The test results, received late Friday, indicated a presumptive positive for the individual experiencing symptoms, though Dr. Henry emphasized that the results are pending confirmation from the national microbiology laboratory in Winnipeg. The final results are expected to be confirmed over the weekend. Dr. Henry reassured the public that the patient remains stable, with symptoms continuing to be mild, and is under hospital care in isolation.
Meanwhile, the patient’s partner tested negative for the virus but will stay in the hospital for ongoing monitoring. Additionally, as a precautionary measure, a third individual who shared lodging with the infected person has also been hospitalized for observation. A fourth person who was part of the same group continues to isolate at home under daily supervision. These four Canadians were aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, where the hantavirus outbreak originated, and had arrived in Victoria on May 10 without showing any symptoms. They were immediately placed in quarantine for at least 21 days.
In related news, France’s Pasteur Institute reported the successful sequencing of the Andes virus found in a French passenger from the same cruise ship. The institute confirmed that the virus closely aligns with known strains in South America and does not exhibit new features that would enhance transmissibility or danger. The genomic analysis revealed that the virus in the French passenger was identical to other cases on the ship and shared about 97% similarity with Andes viruses found in South American rodents.
Pasteur Institute’s Jean-Claude Manuguerra, who leads the environment and infectious risk unit, noted that the minor variations observed were consistent with natural viral variation and did not alter the virus’s characteristics. Since April 11, the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship has resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including a Dutch couple and a German woman.