One Canadian tests positive for hantavirus, BC officials say
The person, who was tested after developing mild symptoms at a hospital in Victoria, B.C., on Vancouver Island, is one of four Canadians quarantined on the island after leaving the MV Hondius, which left Argentina for a polar expedition on April 1.
There were two couples in the group, one from Yukon and the other from BC. Officials said the person who tested positive was from Yukon.
B.C. provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said the Yukon couple was tested in B.C. because that service was not available in the northern region.
Henry said the four men had no contact with the public when they were transferred from the plane to Victoria. It was stated that the condition of the person who tested positive was stable.
The Andean hantavirus strain identified in the cruise ship outbreak can cause serious lung disease that can be fatal in up to 50% of cases, according to the World Health Organization.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that are usually spread by rodents but can be transmitted from person to person in rare cases. Health officials have said the risk of the virus spreading is low.
