RismadarVoice Reporters, May 17, 2026
Canadian health authorities have confirmed that one of four citizens who returned from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak has recorded a presumptive positive test result for the virus.
The development was disclosed by British Columbia’s public health officer, Dr Bonnie Henry, who said final confirmation from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg was expected following additional testing.
According to health officials, the affected individual is part of a couple in their 70s and began experiencing mild symptoms, including fever and headaches, two days earlier.
The couple is currently receiving treatment and observation at a hospital in Victoria, where they remain in isolation.
Dr Henry said the patient’s condition was stable and symptoms had remained mild, noting that health authorities had prepared for such a possibility as part of ongoing monitoring measures.
The second individual reportedly developed only minor symptoms and initially tested negative for the virus.
Health officials stated that early detection had allowed medical teams to provide supportive care and continue close observation of the patients.
The outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius has so far resulted in three deaths. If laboratory confirmation is received, the Canadian patient would become the tenth confirmed infection linked to the vessel.
Authorities said the total number of cases associated with the outbreak has reached 12, with nine already confirmed.
The four Canadians involved returned to British Columbia on May 10 and have remained in isolation since their arrival.
Dr Henry also sought to reassure the public, explaining that hantavirus differs significantly from COVID-19 and does not present a pandemic-level threat.
She added that infection control measures had been in place from the time the passengers arrived in Canada and stressed that there was no indication of additional public risk at this stage.
