Canadian cruise passenger gets a presumptive positive hantavirus test result

The patient, who was on the MV Hondius where the outbreak began, shows mild symptoms including a fever and headache

One of four Canadians who returned home from a cruise ship where there was a hantavirus outbreak received a “presumptive positive” test result for the virus, Canadian officials said on Saturday.

Results from the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg to confirm the case are expected to come over the weekend, said Bonnie Henry, the public health officer for the province of British Columbia.

“Clearly this is not what we hoped for, but it is what we planned for,” Henry said.

The person, one member of a couple in their 70s, began showing mild symptoms, including a fever and headache, two days ago. Both are in a hospital in Victoria.

“The patient is stable, the symptoms remain mild at this point,” Henry said. “They are still in hospital, in isolation, being monitored and receiving care as needed.”

The second person showed “very minor symptoms” and tests were negative, she said.