90-Second Read: Canadian from Hantavirus-hit cruise ship tests positive

A Canadian who sailed on the cruise ship MV Hondius which was hit by a Hantavirus outbreak in April has tested positive for the disease, officials in the province of British Columbia say. The case brings the total number of infections to 11, all among cruise passengers. Hantaviruses are usually carried by rodents, but human transmission of the Andes strain, which the WHO believes some of the ship's passengers contracted in South America, is possible.

The individual is one of four former passengers on the MV Hondius isolating on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. British Columbia health officer Bonnie Henry said the person's test came back as a presumptive positive on Friday, meaning that it still remains to be confirmed by a national microbiology lab. Of the six Canadians who were on the Dutch ship, two are self-isolating at their home in Ontario.

The cruise ship, which set sail from Argentina on 1 April, finally docked in Tenerife, in Spain's Canary Islands, less than a week ago, allowing its 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries to leave and go into isolation. The Canadians were initially required to isolate for 21 days but Dr Henry said that timeline could now be adjusted. The individual, one of four people isolating on Vancouver Island after leaving the ship, had developed mild symptoms.