A Canadian who was a passenger on the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested positive for the Andes hantavirus, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced Saturday.
The individual, whose identity officials did not disclose, was hospitalized Thursday along with their spouse, who is also experiencing mild symptoms. Both were passengers on the Hondius, according to the health agency, and will remain in isolation at the hospital.
A third person who was isolating in secure lodging was also taken to the hospital for assessment and testing “out of an abundance of caution,” the agency said. Officials did not clarify that person’s connection to the couple or whether they were a passenger on the Hondius.
The agency said it is following prevention and control protocols, and that samples have been sent to its National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for “confirmatory testing,” with results expected in two days.
“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 in a statement. “But, given the severity of this virus, we are taking a precautionary approach to ensure Canadians are protected.”
The agency said it will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed. Canadian health officials have previously said they are tracking 36 people — including four cruise ship passengers — who are currently in isolation.
There were no known cases of the Andes hantavirus in the United States as of Friday.
In Washington state, health officials are investigating six potential cases of Andes hantavirus, five of which involve people on an international flight with a Hondius passenger who was later diagnosed with the disease, according to the Washington State Department of Health. The sixth person was exposed to the virus on the Hondius.
Four of the individuals are King County residents, while the other two live in eastern Washington, the health department said. All are being monitored for symptoms.
In a separate case unrelated to the Hondius outbreak, another Washington resident tested positive for the Sin Nombre hantavirus, the Chelan-Douglas Health District reported Friday.
The Sin Nombre hantavirus is the most common cause of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in North America and infects humans by way of the saliva, urine or droppings of deer mice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is not new to the U.S.
The risk to the public from any hantavirus remains “very low,” according to the Washington State Department of Health.
