CANADIAN public health officials have identified a suspected case of the Andes hantavirus connected to the cruise ship MV Hondius, marking a significant development in the ongoing outbreak linked to the vessel that departed Argentina earlier this month.
The Public Health Agency of Canada said one of four Canadians considered to be at “high risk” after travelling aboard the ship had tested “presumptive positive” for the virus while under self-isolation and medical observation in British Columbia.
The MV Hondius had set sail from Argentina on April 1 on a transatlantic voyage before reports emerged of passengers infected with the rare disease, which is primarily spread through contact with infected rodents.
In a statement released on Saturday, Canadian health officials said authorities in British Columbia had been closely monitoring four individuals identified as high-risk contacts linked to the outbreak.
“Reported that one of the four high risk individuals who was self-isolating and being monitored for symptoms has tested presumptive positive for Andes hantavirus,” Reuters quoted the Public Health Agency of Canada saying.
The Andes strain is regarded as particularly concerning because it remains the only known form of hantavirus capable of spreading between humans, although such transmission is considered rare.
Global fatalities linked to the outbreak currently stand at three.
Health authorities said the patient and the individual’s spouse, who had developed minor symptoms, were transported to hospital on Friday and placed in isolation as a precautionary measure.
“Out of an abundance of caution, a third individual who was in secure lodging for isolation has been transferred to hospital for assessment and testing,” the statement added.
Officials said confirmatory laboratory test results were expected within the next several days.
Despite the development, Canadian authorities stressed that the broader public health threat remained limited.
“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 said.
There are currently no approved vaccines or specific antiviral treatments for hantavirus infections, though health experts have sought to reassure the public that the situation does not resemble the scale or transmission dynamics seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. - May 17, 2026
.jpeg)
