Four Canadians boarded cruise ship with deadly hantavirus outbreak
Several Canadians were on board the cruise ship that’s now at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak.
On April 1, four Canadians were among the 114 guests who boarded the MV Hondius in Ushuaia, Argentina, before the hantavirus outbreak occurred.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), several guests became sick between April 6 and 28, showing symptoms of fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock. As of May 4, there have been three deaths, one critically ill patient, and three people with mild symptoms. According to The Independent, authorities suspect that a couple may have been exposed to the virus when they went birdwatching in Ushuaia.
Oceanwide Expeditions, a Netherlands-based cruise ship operator, stated that 30 individuals disembarked in St. Helena, where the ship stopped on its way to Cape Verde on April 24, before the outbreak was reported on May 2. Of the 30 passengers who disembarked, two were Canadians.
In a statement shared on X, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said that the two Canadians on the MV Hondius are located in Ontario and Quebec. Another Canadian on the same flight may have come into contact with a symptomatic individual. All three are asymptomatic and are currently self-isolating.
The WHO states that currently, the virus poses a low risk to the public.
What is the hantavirus?
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According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), hantaviruses are a group of viruses that can make humans severely ill.
There are several types of hantaviruses worldwide, each causing different types of diseases. However, the two most common diseases caused by the virus include the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) (found in North and South America) and the hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) (found mainly in Europe and Asia). On average, HPS has a 40 percent fatality rate, while the HFRS has an average fatality rate of one to 12 per cent.
In cases of HPS, symptoms appear one to six weeks after exposure. They can include tiredness, dizziness, fever and chills, muscle aches and headaches, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, and coughing.
Severe symptoms include shortness of breath and severe difficulty breathing. HFRS symptoms occur one to two weeks after exposure and can include intense headaches, back and stomach pain, fever, chills, nausea, and blurred vision. Additional symptoms can include a flushed face, inflamed or red eyes, a rash, low blood pressure, or internal bleeding.
But unlike other species of hantavirus, the Andes strain can be transmitted between people.
According to the WHO, passengers on board the MV Hondius who were infected with this strain had symptoms such as fever, headache, gastrointestinal issues, shortness of breath, and signs of pneumonia.
How does it spread?
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For the most part, infections can happen when someone inhales virus particles from infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva that have become airborne, which can happen while sweeping or vacuuming rodent waste.
People can also get infected by touching contaminated objects or eating food contaminated with the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents. In rare cases, people could get infected if they’re bitten by a rodent with a hantavirus.
In North America, rodents known to carry the virus include the deer mouse, cotton rat, rice rat, white-footed mouse, and the red-backed vole.
As of May 1, the National Microbiology Laboratory has confirmed 168 cases of hantavirus infection in Canada since it started surveillance in 1994.
How is it treated?
According to the PHAC, there’s currently no vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus infections. Treatment options include supportive care and help to maintain oxygen levels and prevent dehydration. Infections are detected based on symptoms and through tests.