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Canadians Home After Hantavirus Scare on Antarctic Cruise
11 May
Summary
- Four Canadians returned home after being on a ship with a hantavirus outbreak.
- They are self-isolating for at least 21 days, potentially up to 42 days.
- None of the returning Canadians showed symptoms of the rare virus.
Four Canadians, previously aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius which experienced a rare hantavirus outbreak, have arrived in Victoria, B.C. They are now under a mandatory self-isolation period of a minimum of 21 days, starting from May 6, and this may be extended up to 42 days. Local public health teams will monitor them daily to ensure they remain well and are safely isolating, with no public contact permitted.
The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius during its voyage from Argentina toward Antarctica and across the Atlantic. Hantavirus, typically spread through rodent droppings, is not easily transmitted between humans. However, the specific Andes virus strain found on the ship may, in rare instances, spread person-to-person. Symptoms usually appear one to eight weeks after exposure, and the outbreak has resulted in three deaths and five infected passengers who had already left the vessel.
Despite the confirmed cases and fatalities on the ship, the four returning Canadians remain asymptomatic. Health officials are treating them as if exposed but emphasize that hantavirus is significantly different and harder to transmit than COVID-19. Secure plans are in place to safeguard the public throughout the isolation period.
