The first case of Andes hantavirus in Canada has been confirmed, public health officials say, following testing of a presumptive case in British Columbia.
On Saturday, B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said one of four Canadians isolating after exposure to a rare strain of hantavirus aboard an Antarctic cruise ship had developed symptoms and recently tested positive.
The Yukon resident was isolating in B.C. when Henry said they developed mild symptoms, including a fever and headache, two days ago. They and their partner were transferred to hospital in Victoria for assessment and testing.
The positive result was considered presumptive pending confirmatory testing from Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Henry said. That confirmation was announced in a news release on Sunday.
PHAC confirmed the Yukon resident’s partner has tested negative.
Of the four people brought to B.C., health officials said a third has been transferred to hospital out of “an abundance of caution,” while the fourth traveller continues isolating at home.
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Earlier this week, the World Health Organization identified the strain aboard the cruise ship as the Andes strain, which can spread from person to person unlike most forms of hantavirus. The WHO says overall public risk remains low.
No further cases of Andes hantavirus have been identified as of Sunday. All nine Canadians who had high-risk exposure are isolating and will continue to be monitored closely by public health.
These individuals are found in Ontario, Alberta and B.C.
“We want to thank public health authorities and front-line staff in British Columbia for the dedicated care that they are providing and for their ongoing management of the situation, and the passengers for their cooperation with public health direction to help keep others safe,” said Dr. Joss Reimer, chief public health officer of Canada.
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Another 27 people across the country are being monitored by public health authorities for symptoms after sharing flights with a person confirmed to have hantavirus.
Other passengers on the flights are not considered close contacts because of where they were seated.
Dr. Charmaine Enns, Island Health Medical Health Officer, said in a statement an “an inappropriate laboratory control procedure” occurred Sunday at Royal Jubilee Hospital with a blood sample from the patient who has initially tested positive for hantavirus.
“Initially, under an abundance of caution, lab staff were requested to remain in the laboratory until the risk assessment could be completed. In addition, lab tests were paused and sent off-site. A team of infection prevention and control, public health, laboratory, and operations staff worked closely with the BC Centre for Disease Control, carefully reviewing every aspect to ensure a thorough response and was able to determine there was no risk of exposure to staff involved,” Enns said.
“There remains no increased risk to the public, and no actions for the public to take, at this time. Our sites remain safe places to visit and seek care. Hantavirus does not transmit via blood, rather through infected saliva or urine. Lab staff involved will be provided with support, further education around sample collection, transport, and laboratory control procedures.”
I got my mask and am ready to fight Hantavirus with my elbows up.
I told my doctor that as soon as a vaccine is approved by the Liberal Government, I want to load up.
I already told everyone I know to stay away from me unless they have a mask and have made a donation to the Trudeau Foundation.
I’m not going to let any virus or maple maga pee pee ruin my life
YES …. INSTEAD OF LEAVING PEOPLE ON BOARD THE SHIP …. OUR BRIGHTEST SEND THEM ALL OVER THE WORLD….WHAT A BUNCH OF A..H’S WE HAVE AS PEOPLE THAT THINK THEY ARE DOCTORS…JUST IDIOTS
“Another 27 people across the country are being monitored by public health authorities for symptoms after sharing flights with a person confirmed to have hantavirus.”
Seeing as how they’ve have acknowledged the Andes strain is airborne, that it actually doesn’t take that much exposure for infection to occur, and that a person can be contagious before symptoms begin, these people should be isolating, not just monitoring for symptoms.
Did we learn nothing from Covid??? 🤦♀️
What does that make it the 14th in the country and we’re reading about it every day …let’s all get vaxed four times in the event we might snort some magicmouse dust. Let’s not forget the handouts to the politicians for making vaccinations mandatory.
More scare material. Watch the prices of fuel, groceries and toilet paper climb sharply in response to this for no solid material reason.
Stop trying to scare everyone with your headlines Global. This is not a new case. It’s the same situation the media is blowing out of proportion.
Until we all stand together to put a stop to these maggots, they wont stop with the madness. We can topple these mf’s but people choose not to. So we lose i guess.
when people are afraid they make bad decisions. heres the real question, what bad decisions do they want us to make? lets talk about how every car made in 2026 on spies on the driver all the time. 1984 is here the only difference is your nit forced to listen to messages all day and the cities are destroyed. gooo carney
Nope won’t be joining in on another “pandemic “.
Start gettin’ yer veins pumped up and ready to go!
since Canada is open arms to all immigrants ,any real threat like a Ebola , Canada will be the first hit, in 2020 when everyone was locked in their houses, there was jet planes loaded to the nuts from India, as the average Canadian had no clue, now look around!
First all :Rodney-Ronald: Stard. Is was and is protected by his policy The ability to think on his own. One dares you to even try your lies on the people. Again. The Lord has a message for you Bonnie henry warning he will have mercy on those he has. Mercy and vengeance on those who continue to use media to fool the people. Tho who but a fool would believe this. The Bible says never try to correct a fool so Bonnie prove it correct.
I demand another Covid style reaction.
Another scam just like covert
When is this nonsense going to end? this is not a new case of ‘person to person’ it is the same case reported earlier of a cruise ship passenger coming into contact with rodent poop.
Stop trying to use WHO as a source… they are liars.
Just waiting on big pharma to announce a hanta virus vaccine….
Who cares
Y A W N
“health officials say, following testing of a presumptive case in British Columbia.🤣🤣🤣 here we go the fear mongering starts again a presumptive case I mean really that is fake you’re saying that a presumptive case it’s not even confirmed I mean you guys are pathetic Health Canada is pathetic Criminal criminal we got to get rid of Health Canada Criminal keep your fear mongering scumbags nobody’s buying it this time scumbags
My goodness,
This news is getting monotonous by now.
Move on and help the few people here in Canada and don’t make it a huge pandemic news feature. It’s not Covid, which took hundreds if thousands of lives across the Globe.
8 cases of Ebola lock down and mask up !! We are all going to die. On the other hand why did they not leave the boat at sea till they had no more cases
And here we go again, another plannedemic.
And away we go! Either way hantavirus or Ebola WHO is pushing it out of proportion