Date: May 16, 2026 l By Jan Porch
Health officials in British Columbia have confirmed that one Canadian isolating on Vancouver Island after exposure to a hantavirus outbreak aboard an international cruise ship has tested “presumptive positive” for the virus.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Saturday that the individual, a Yukon resident, developed mild symptoms including fever and headache before receiving the preliminary positive test result. Samples have now been sent to Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for confirmation testing.
The patient is among four Canadians currently isolating in British Columbia after travelling aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-operated luxury expedition cruise ship linked to an outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus. The ship departed Argentina on a polar expedition earlier this year before multiple infections were detected among passengers and crew.
Dr. Henry said the infected individual remains in stable condition and that public health protocols were followed during transportation and isolation procedures. Authorities emphasized that the four Canadians had no contact with the general public after arriving in British Columbia.
The group isolating on Vancouver Island includes a Yukon couple in their 70s, another person in their 70s from Vancouver Island, and a B.C. resident in their 50s who lives abroad. Henry confirmed that the second Yukoner tested negative for the virus.
Health officials across Canada have been monitoring dozens of potential contacts linked to the outbreak. More than 26 Canadians are currently being observed nationwide after possible exposure through the cruise ship or associated flights, though authorities continue to describe the public risk as low.
The Andes strain involved in the outbreak is particularly concerning because it is the only known hantavirus strain capable of spreading from person to person in rare circumstances. Most hantaviruses are typically transmitted through exposure to infected rodents, including contact with rodent saliva, urine or droppings.
According to the World Health Organization, the virus can cause severe respiratory illness known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which may become fatal in up to 50 per cent of cases in the Americas. However, medical experts have repeatedly stressed that human-to-human transmission remains rare and generally requires prolonged close contact.
The global outbreak linked to the MV Hondius has already resulted in multiple confirmed infections and at least three deaths internationally. The World Health Organization said earlier this week there was currently “no sign” of a larger global outbreak, although officials warned additional cases could emerge because the virus can incubate for several weeks before symptoms appear.
Canadian public health agencies have implemented temporary travel restrictions affecting passengers and crew connected to the vessel. Individuals considered high-risk contacts have been instructed not to travel and, in some provinces, to self-isolate for periods ranging from 21 to 42 days depending on exposure risk.
Medical experts also noted that testing asymptomatic individuals remains difficult because hantavirus may not be detectable during early incubation stages. Dr. Bryce Warner of the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization explained that negative test results early after exposure do not necessarily rule out future infection.
The latest presumptive positive case is expected to intensify monitoring efforts by Canadian health authorities as officials continue tracing contacts and observing isolated passengers connected to the cruise ship outbreak.