2026/5/17 09:48 (updated at 5/17 09:56) Please agree to our privacy policy to enable the news listening function. (Central News Agency, Montreal, June 16, Comprehensive Foreign Reports) Canadian public health officials said today that a “high-risk” passenger on the MV Hondius cruise ship has preliminarily tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus. Agence France-Presse reported that the patient was one of four Canadian citizens on board the cruise ship where the hantavirus outbreak occurred. The ship was originally scheduled to sail from Argentina to the Atlantic Ocean on April 1, but an outbreak of a rare rodent-borne disease brought the planned voyage to an abrupt end. The Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement that officials from the western province of British Columbia reported: “One of the four high-risk cases who are self-isolating and being monitored for symptoms has preliminarily tested positive for Andes hantavirus.” The only hantavirus known to be transmitted between people is the Andes strain. The global death toll currently stands at three. Officials said the patient and his spouse who had mild symptoms were sent to the hospital yesterday and will continue to be quarantined and observed in the hospital. The statement stated: “As a precaution, the third person who was originally isolated in a safe place has been transferred to the hospital for evaluation and testing.” The test results to confirm whether he is infected with hantavirus are expected to be released in the next few days. The Public Health Agency of Canada emphasizes: “The overall risk to the general Canadian population from the current Andes hantavirus outbreak associated with the Hondias cruise ship remains low.” There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus, but health officials have refuted the comparison of hantavirus with the COVID-19 epidemic. (Compiled by: Chen Yuting) 1150517 supports Central News Agency’s choice to stand with the facts. Every donation you make is a small amount of sponsorship to protect press freedom. Download the Central News Agency’s “First-hand News” APP to get the latest news in real time. The text, pictures and audio and video of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.
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