Four Canadians from hantavirus-linked cruise ship arriving in B.C. for isolation

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]News like this understandably causes concern, particularly given the experiences we all went through in 2020 and since then with the COVID-19 pandemic. Four Canadians connected to the Hantavirus outbreak on board the MV Hondius are expected to arrive in BC this evening on a chartered flight accompanied by Public Health Agency of Canada quarantine officer. When they arrive in British Columbia, they will be screened and assessed again. Officials say all four Canadians to the province today are asymptomatic, but will immediately begin a 21 to 42 day isolation period in secured safe lodgings as a precaution.

[00:00:40]At no point do we expect them to be in contact with the public during this arrival process or during their isolation period. And they will be monitored daily by our local public health teams to ensure that people that they remain well and that they're safely isolating and to make sure that their mental and physical needs are met. The MV Hondius outbreak drew international attention after eight confirmed cases of Andes Hantavirus were linked to the Antarctic expedition cruise including three deaths. The strain is known to have limited human-to-human transmission, though health experts stress the risk to the general public is low. The virus predominantly lives in the lower respiratory tract compared to the upper respiratory tract of COVID-19.

[00:01:25]And so human-to-human spread, while can happen, is much less frequent. The people who were exposed on that cruise ship, say the doctors and other staff members who who got Hantavirus infection were likely directly within the same room and had extended periods of time with infected individuals. BC's provincial health officer acknowledges the situation may trigger fears tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, but emphasizes the viruses behave very differently. It is not a respiratory virus spreads as easily as COVID-19 or influenza or measles. It doesn't spread in the same way, and it's not considered a disease with pandemic potential. Adding the current outbreak pattern suggests the virus is not spreading easily on board the ship. And that's what makes me hopeful that these four Canadians will be able to get through this incubation period and and not become ill with it. Henry could not confirm whether the four Canadians isolating in BC are actually BC residents and did not say where they will be isolating. But we do know that some of the four have connections with British Columbia, and that's why we're we've agreed that this is an appropriate place for them to come. She says there are protocols and specialized facilities in place should symptoms develop, including access to the BC biocontainment treatment center at Surrey Memorial Hospital. The province will be providing another update on the situation tomorrow.