4 Canadian passengers from hantavirus-linked cruise quarantining on the Island

The passengers—one of whom is an Islander—arrived at Victoria International Airport (YYJ) on Sunday evening, where they were met by Island Health public health workers for screening. They were then transferred to pre-arranged locations to begin quarantining.

Island Health did not confirm whether the passengers remained on the South Island for their isolation period or were relocated to another area of the Island.

The four passengers were identified as a person in their 70s from the Island, a British Columbian in their 50s who lives abroad, and a couple in their 70s from Yukon.

An outbreak of Andes hantavirus on MV Hondius, a Dutch cruise ship that was scheduled to tour the South Atlantic and Antarctica, has been making global headlines for weeks after the World Health Organization confirmed three people died from the virus.

Andes hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents, though it can circulate through contact with an infected person. At least nine cases of the virus have been linked to the cruise.

MV Hondius was anchored outside Cape Verde for three days before docking in Spain. From there, the Canadians flew to an airport in Quebec before being transferred to YYJ.

Island Health told Capital Daily that the four people isolating on the Island have not shown symptoms, though there are “established processes in place should anyone need medical care while isolating.”

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the passengers will be closely monitored for 42 days—the maximum incubation period for hantavirus—but will likely be completely isolated for only 21 days.

This 42-day monitoring period began on Sunday. Henry initially said the period began May 6, but the timeline was updated yesterday in light of the fast onset of symptoms experienced by a French passenger, who is currently in critical condition.

Henry says the virus is not considered “a disease of pandemic potential,” though it is “very serious.” Hantavirus is rare, but it has a 30-40% death rate.

“I think of it as a serious and important disease that we need to understand,” said Henry. “We need to understand the risk to these individuals, but it's limited in terms of we don't expect to see transmission—now that people are safely in isolation and being monitored—to people outside of those who were exposed on that cruise ship.”

Henry called the next few days a “very critical phase of the incubation period” for the passengers. While all passengers from the cruise are considered high-risk for hantavirus, Henry said the four Canadians are on the “low-risk spectrum” of the heightened risk.