Canadian Cruise Passenger Tests Presumptive Positive for Hantavirus

A Canadian passenger connected to the hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius has received a presumptive positive test result, health officials in British Columbia confirmed Saturday.

The Canadian hantavirus case involves one member of a couple in their 70s who returned from the cruise earlier this month.

Passenger hospitalized with mild symptoms

Dr. Bonnie Henry said the patient began experiencing mild symptoms, including fever and headaches, two days before testing positive.

The patient is currently hospitalized in Victoria and remains in stable condition.

“The symptoms remain mild at this point,” Henry said during a press briefing. “They are still in hospital, in isolation, being monitored and receiving care as needed.”

The second member of the couple reported only minor symptoms and tested negative for the virus.

Outbreak linked to MV Hondius cruise ship

The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has now reached 12 total cases, including nine confirmed infections.

If laboratory confirmation is completed, the Canadian hantavirus case would become the 10th confirmed infection connected to the cruise.

Three people linked to the outbreak have died so far, including a Dutch couple believed to have been among the first exposed while traveling in South America.

Canadians remain in isolation

Four Canadians returned to British Columbia on May 10 after disembarking from the ship.

The group includes:

• The Yukon couple in their 70s
• Another passenger in their 70s from Vancouver Island
• A British Columbia resident in their 50s who lives abroad

All passengers remain in isolation while health officials continue monitoring for symptoms.

Officials say hantavirus is not another COVID-style threat

Henry emphasized that hantavirus differs significantly from COVID-19 and does not currently pose pandemic-level concerns.

“I want to reassure everybody that for most of us the situation has not changed,” she said.

She added that public health teams implemented infection-control protocols immediately after the passengers arrived back in Canada.

“I’m confident there’s no additional risk,” Henry said. “We are well prepared to respond carefully and appropriately to keep everyone safe.”

Andes strain remains under close watch

The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known strain capable of limited person-to-person transmission.

Health officials continue studying how the virus spread among passengers on the ship, though experts stress the overall public risk remains low.

Most hantavirus infections occur after exposure to rodent droppings, urine, or saliva.