B.C.'s first hantavirus patient has recovered, discharged from hospital

A person who fell ill with hantavirus after arriving in B.C. has since recovered. Photo by Peter Dejong /AP

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A person in B.C. who contracted hantavirus on board the MV Hondius cruise ship is out of hospital.

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“The person who became ill with hantavirus has recovered and was discharged from hospital late last week,” said a statement on Monday from the office of the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.

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The Yukon resident fell ill after arriving in B.C. once passengers were allowed to leave the ship.

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The latest World Health Organization update on May 28 said there had been 13 cases of hantavirus and three deaths linked to the cruise ship.

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Four Canadians were flown to B.C. after being on board the Dutch-flagged Hondius. The cruise ship was struck by hantavirus in April while sailing near Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa. It’s believed a passenger was exposed to the disease during a trek before the start of the cruise in Argentina.

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The virus can cause fever and gastrointestinal symptoms, and can progress rapidly to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress and shock. It is generally acquired through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of a contaminated rodent.

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Human-to-human transmission is rare but has been reported with the Andes strain of hantavirus, the variant found on board the cruise ship.

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Travellers on the MV Hondius were stranded on board the ship for days, as officials determined where the boat could safely dock for health checks and quarantines. After the ship docked in Spain’s Canary Islands, the remaining passengers were allowed to disembark.

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The four Canadians who returned to Vancouver Island on May 10 included a couple in their 70s from the Yukon, a person in their 70s who lives on Vancouver Island, and a British Columbian in their 50s who lives abroad.

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They were transported on a plane chartered by the Public Health Agency of Canada and were placed under quarantine on arrival in pre-arranged lodgings, except for the Vancouver Island resident who quarantined at home.

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Just a week after arrival, Henry confirmed that one of the Yukon residents developed mild symptoms, including a fever and headache, and tested positive for the Andes strain.

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That was the individual released from hospital last week.

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“The three other contacts continue to be in quarantine and are being followed daily by Island Health public health teams,” read the statement issued Monday. “All three remain asymptomatic.”

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Henry’s office confirmed that the quarantine period is 42 days, the maximum incubation period for hantavirus, meaning the quarantine for the remaining individuals will end around June 21.

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