A resident in Peel Region, Ontario is currently in isolation and under observation for symptoms related to hantavirus, as stated by Ontario’s Health Minister Sylvia Jones on Monday. This individual marks the third case in the province under monitoring for the virus. In another instance, a couple in Grey Bruce, Ontario is also in isolation after being on a cruise ship with passengers who were infected with hantavirus.
Despite being asymptomatic, both cases are being closely monitored by the local public health units. Peel Public Health affirmed that the person in Peel, who is a visitor to Canada and not a local resident, had contact with a confirmed hantavirus case. However, the health authority reassured that the risk to the broader Peel community remains minimal, and no additional precautions are needed by residents.
The individual in Peel was potentially exposed to the Andes strain of hantavirus during a flight, according to Mark Johnson, a spokesperson from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Currently, there are nine Canadians who may have been exposed to the virus, with five individuals isolating at home, including the Grey Bruce couple. The other four individuals who disembarked the MV Hondius cruise ship in Spain’s Canary Islands are now isolating in British Columbia.
Quebec public health confirmed that one person previously considered at high risk due to potential exposure on a flight is no longer under close monitoring. Health Minister Jones emphasized that those in isolation who remain asymptomatic will not undergo testing, following advice from Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore.
Given the varying strains of hantavirus, the fatality rate of hantavirus pulmonary infection can range from 20 to 50 percent. The Andes strain, which can be transmitted person-to-person, necessitates very close contact for transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a total of nine confirmed hantavirus cases as of Monday morning, with seven cases linked to the outbreak originating from the MV Hondius cruise ship, resulting in three fatalities.