British Columbia — first confirmed Canadian Andes hantavirus case
Andes hantavirus HPS · British Columbia, Canada · verified active
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Summary
Canada's first laboratory-confirmed Andes hantavirus case linked to the MV Hondius outbreak. The Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory confirmed the case on 16 May 2026 in a Canadian passenger isolating in British Columbia — one of four Canadian MV Hondius passengers under home isolation in B.C. since repatriation. A travelling partner of the confirmed case tested negative the same day. PHAC and the BC Provincial Health Officer assess risk to the broader Canadian public as low; Andes virus requires close prolonged contact for the rare human-to-human transmission documented for this strain. The case is part of the wider MV Hondius cluster (parent event: 2026-mv-hondius).
Why this matters
First MV Hondius case confirmed in North America outside the U.S. monitoring cohort; reaches Canada via a returning cruise passenger after a 14-day home-isolation window in BC.
Sources
- T1 Media update on Andes hantavirus situation Public Health Agency of Canada · 2026-05-16
- T3 National lab confirms hantavirus case for Canadian cruise passenger isolating in B.C. CBC News · 2026-05-16