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Hantavirus Scare: Ontario Couple Isolated After Cruise Exposure
8 May
Summary
- Ontario couple isolated for 45 days due to potential hantavirus exposure.
- They were on a cruise ship with eight reported hantavirus cases.
- Authorities assure low risk to the general public in Ontario.
Two Ontario residents are under isolation for 45 days after potential exposure to hantavirus on a cruise ship. The couple, who are in good spirits and asymptomatic, were on the MV Hondius, which reported eight hantavirus cases.
Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, confirmed the couple disembarked the ship on St. Helena in late April and later traveled through Johannesburg, South Africa, where they may have been exposed. He emphasized that the risk to the general public in Ontario is minimal.
Four other Canadians remain on the cruise ship, which is en route to Granadilla, Tenerife, where consular officials will meet it. The Andes virus, a type of hantavirus capable of limited human-to-human transmission, is responsible for the outbreak, which has resulted in three deaths.
Dr. Moore acknowledged that terms like 'contact tracing' might cause anxiety but reassured Ontarians that robust plans are in place for monitoring and testing.
