A Canadian national has tested positive for hantavirus in British Columbia after disembarking a luxury cruise ship linked to an outbreak of the virus.
The tourist, who developed mild symptoms, was tested at a hospital in Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, and is now in stable condition.
The patient is one of four Canadians currently isolating on the island after leaving the MV Hondius, a Dutch luxury cruise ship that departed Argentina on a polar expedition on 1 April.
The group comprised two couples, one from Yukon and another from British Columbia.
Officials confirmed that the positive case is from Yukon.
British Columbia’s provincial health officer, Bonnie Henry, said that the Yukon couple is being tested in BC because such services are unavailable in the northern territory.
She said all four people had no contact with the public during their transfer from their flight to Victoria.
The Andes strain of hantavirus, identified in the outbreak on the cruise ship, can cause severe lung illness that can be fatal in up to 50 per cent of cases, according to the World Health Organization.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that are usually spread by rodents, but in rare cases can be transmitted person to person. Health authorities have said the risk of the virus spreading is low.
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