In a recent development concerning the hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship, Canadian health officials announced that one of four Canadians under quarantine in British Columbia has tested positive for the virus. Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, reported that the individual, who had been on the cruise ship MV Hondius, began showing mild symptoms, including fever and headache. The patient, along with their partner, was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Victoria for further assessment and testing.
Dr. Henry clarified during a press conference that the positive result from Friday evening is considered a “presumptive positive,” with samples sent to the national microbiology lab in Winnipeg for further confirmation. Results from these confirmatory tests are anticipated over the weekend. “Clearly this is not what we hoped for, but it is what we planned for,” Dr. Henry stated, emphasizing the preparedness of health officials. The patient’s symptoms remain mild, and they are stable while under isolation in the hospital, receiving necessary care.
The patient’s partner, who also traveled on the same cruise ship, tested negative for the hantavirus but will remain hospitalized for monitoring. Another individual who shared lodging with the couple has been admitted to the hospital as a precautionary measure, while the fourth individual continues to isolate at home under daily observation. The group had arrived in Victoria on May 10 and began a 21-day quarantine period, initially showing no symptoms upon arrival.
In a related update, the Pasteur Institute in France has completed a full genomic sequencing of the Andes virus detected in a French passenger from the same cruise ship. The analysis revealed that the virus aligns with known strains circulating in South America, showing no new characteristics that could increase its transmissibility or danger. The viruses found in patients from the ship were nearly identical to each other and closely matched samples from affected rodents in South America.
Jean-Claude Manuguerra, head of the Pasteur Institute’s environment and infectious risk unit, noted that the slight variations observed in the virus appear to be natural and do not alter its characteristics among travelers. The hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship has already resulted in the deaths of three individuals since April 11, including a Dutch couple and a German woman.