The Canadian woman who tested positive was hospitalized Thursday in the province of British Columbia, in western Canada. At the same time, the United Kingdom announced the transfer of nine asymptomatic people who had been in contact with cases of hantavirus in Saint Helena and Ascension Island.
The world has one new person positive for hantavirus. A suspected case of contamination was confirmed positive in Canada in a passenger who traveled aboard the MV Hondius, the country’s public health agency announced on Sunday.
This person was hospitalized Thursday in the province of British Columbia (west) in the company of their spouse, also a passenger on the Hondius, who for his part tested negative, the health agency said in a press release. “No other cases have been identified to date”selon la même source.
Skip the ad
“The overall risk to the general population in Canada from the Andes hantavirus outbreak associated with the cruise ship MV Hondius remains low at this time.”the agency stressed.
Four Canadians were on board the ship affected by an outbreak of hantavirus, which had set sail from Argentina on April 1 for a crossing of the Atlantic Ocean with 88 passengers and 61 crew members.
Worldwide, the death toll is three. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment against hantavirus, but health authorities assure that the risk is low and reject any comparison with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nine contact cases transferred to the United Kingdom
In addition, nine asymptomatic people who were in contact with cases of hantavirus in the British overseas territories of Saint Helena and Ascension Island are due to arrive in the United Kingdom on Sunday evening in a charter flight, the British health security agency announced.
“Nine asymptomatic people in contact with cases, from Saint Helena and Ascension Island, are expected (Sunday) evening in the United Kingdom”where they will come “complete their self-isolation” as a precautionary measure, the UKHSA said in a press release.
Skip the ad
These nine people, who were already in isolation on the two South Atlantic islands, will initially be transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital in Upton, near Liverpool. If the conditions are met, they may subsequently be placed in self-isolation.
The specialist infectious disease services of the NHS, the British public health service, “will be able to provide them with support in the event that they become ill”.
In addition, a health professional from Ascension Island, who has been in «contact étroit» with a case and a “developed symptoms” compatible with hantavirus, according to authorities on the island of Saint Helena, arrived in a specialized unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, the agency said on Saturday. The latter was evacuated “Apparently” as a precaution, although it is not a «cas confirmé» à ce stade.
Around twenty passengers from the MV Hondius were repatriated a week ago to the United Kingdom after being disembarked in the Canary Islands. Eight of them have at this stage been released from Arrowe Park Hospital, where they were in quarantine, in order to self-isolate at home for 45 days, according to a latest report from the UKHSA published on Saturday.
