Patient was on the ship MV Hondius, where 3 people died; risk to the population is low
Canada’s national health agency confirmed this Sunday (May 17, 2026) that 1 of 4 Canadians who returned from a cruise hit by a hantavirus outbreak tested positive for the virus. The information is from the news agency AP (Associated Press).
The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed the case 1 day after British Columbia’s provincial health authority said the person had received a result “presumed positive”. Additional testing was carried out at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
PASSENGER ISOLATION
“Sample from 1 individual was confirmed positive for hantavirus”the national agency said in a statement. A 2nd person, who was a travel partner of the confirmed case, tested negative for the disease.
The 2 are a couple in their 70s, and hail from the Yukon Territory. Both are admitted to a hospital in the city of Victoria.
The cruise’s 4 Canadian passengers returned to British Columbia the previous Sunday. In addition to the couple, the group includes 1 person in their 70s from Vancouver Island and 1 person in their 50s, also from British Columbia but living abroad. Everyone is in isolation.
OUTBREAK ON THE SHIP AND RISK
Since the outbreak began on the cruise ship MV Hondius, . The Canadian patient is the 10th person on the vessel to test positive.
“The overall risk to the population in Canada from the Andean hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship remains low at this time.”the health agency’s statement said. “All cases confirmed to date have been passengers or crew on the cruise ship MV Hondius”.
The Canadian government said it has provided data on the positive case to the WHO (World Health Organization) and will continue to share information to support the ongoing global investigation into the outbreak.
