Canadian national health agency confirms positive hantavirus test
Canada's national health agency confirms that one of four Canadians returning from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive.
Mason Reed 
The Public Health Agency of Canada has officially confirmed that one of four Canadians who returned home following a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has tested positive for the virus. According to 205focus.com, this confirmation follows an initial “presumptive positive” report shared by British Columbia public health officials, with final results now verified by the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Details on the Affected Patients
The confirmed case involves one member of a couple in their 70s from the Yukon, both of whom are currently hospitalized in Victoria. A traveling partner of the confirmed patient has tested negative. Aside from the couple, the group of four Canadians includes a person in their 70s from Vancouver Island and a British Columbia resident in their 50s living abroad. All four are currently being held in isolation.
Context of the Outbreak
The Canadian patient marks the 10th individual associated with the MV Hondius cruise ship to return a positive test for the virus. The outbreak has already proven fatal for three people, including a Dutch couple believed to have been initially exposed while traveling in South America.
Health Agency Assessment
Despite the positive diagnosis, the Canadian public health agency maintains that the threat to the general public remains minimal. “The overall risk to the general population in Canada from the Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship remains low at this time,” the agency stated. “All confirmed cases to date have been passengers or crew on the MV Hondius cruise ship.”
To assist in the ongoing international investigation, the agency has notified the World Health Organization and continues to coordinate on global efforts to monitor and contain the virus.
