In a recent development, Canadian health authorities reported that one of the four Canadians who are currently under quarantine in British Columbia following exposure to the hantavirus on a cruise ship has tested positive. Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer for British Columbia, announced during a news briefing that the individual began exhibiting mild symptoms such as fever and headache two days prior. Both the individual and their partner, who were aboard the same cruise ship, were subsequently moved to a hospital in Victoria for further evaluation and testing.
On Friday night, preliminary test results indicated a presumptive positive for the individual experiencing symptoms, Dr. Henry explained. She noted, however, that the samples have been forwarded to the national microbiology lab in Winnipeg for confirmatory testing, with results anticipated over the weekend. “While this is not the outcome we were hoping for, it is something we were prepared for,” Dr. Henry remarked. She assured that the patient is in stable condition, with symptoms remaining mild, and continues to be monitored in isolation at the hospital.
Although the patient’s partner tested negative for the virus, they will remain in the hospital for ongoing observation and assessment. As a precautionary measure, a third individual who was sharing lodging with the couple has also been taken to the hospital for monitoring. The fourth person from the group is continuing their quarantine at home under daily surveillance, Dr. Henry added.
The quartet had traveled on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, where the hantavirus outbreak was first identified. They arrived in Victoria on May 10, where initial assessments showed no symptoms in any of them. They were immediately placed into quarantine for at least 21 days. Meanwhile, France’s Pasteur Institute has completely sequenced the Andes virus found in a French passenger from the same cruise ship. Their analysis showed that the virus is consistent with known strains in South America, without any new traits that could increase its transmissibility or severity.
The Pasteur Institute confirmed that the virus identified in the French passenger matched those found in other cases on the ship and closely resembled Andes virus samples circulating in South America. These findings indicate about a 97% similarity with existing Andes viruses identified in rodents. Jean-Claude Manuguerra, leading the environment and infectious risk unit at Pasteur, noted that the minor variations observed seemed to reflect natural viral mutations without altering the virus’s characteristics. Since April 11, three passengers from the MV Hondius have died from suspected hantavirus infections, including a Dutch couple and a German woman.