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Hantavirus Cruise Ship Scare: Survivor Recalls Near-Death Battle
9 May
Summary
- A hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has resurfaced fears for a man who nearly died from the virus.
- Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has a fatality rate up to 50 percent, with 143 cases in Canada since 1989.
- Canadian health officials state the risk of hantavirus spread in Canada is low and not pandemic-potential.
A recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has triggered difficult memories for Lorne Warburton, who nearly succumbed to the rare virus in British Columbia approximately three years ago. His ordeal began with intense headaches and chills, rapidly progressing to sepsis, kidney failure, and fluid in his lungs.
Warburton required life support and a two-week hospital stay, with full recovery taking about eighteen months. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory illness, typically starts with flu-like symptoms and has a fatality rate as high as 50 percent, according to the WHO.
In Canada, 143 cases of HPS were confirmed between 1989 and 2020, resulting in 34 fatalities. Health officials emphasize that contracting the disease in Canada is exceptionally rare and the risk to the general population from the cruise ship outbreak is low.
Public health authorities have stated that hantavirus is not easily transmitted person-to-person and does not have the potential to become a pandemic. Reducing risk involves avoiding rodents and disinfecting contaminated areas.
