Canadian tourist tests positive ​for hantavirus after leaving luxury cruise ship ‌hit by outbreak

British Columbia's government said on Saturday one Canadian tested positive ​for hantavirus after leaving a luxury cruise ship ‌hit by an outbreak of the Andes strain of the virus.

The individual, who was tested at a hospital in Victoria, BC, on ​Vancouver Island, after developing mild symptoms, is one ​of four Canadians isolating on the island after ⁠leaving the MV Hondius, a Dutch luxury cruise ship, that ​departed Argentina on a polar expedition on 1 April.

The group ​included two couples – one from Yukon and another from BC. The individual who tested positive is from Yukon, officials said.

The Yukon couple ​is being tested in BC because that service is ​unavailable in the northern territory, said BC provincial health officer Bonnie Henry.

Ms Henry ‌said ⁠the four people had not come in contact with the public when they were transferred from their flight to Victoria. The person who tested positive is in stable condition, ​she said.

The ​Andes strain ⁠of hantavirus, identified in the outbreak on the cruise ship, can cause severe lung illness ​that can be fatal in up to ​50 per cent ⁠of cases, according to the World Health Organization.

Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that are usually spread by rodents, but ⁠in ​rare cases can be transmitted person ​to person. Health authorities have said the risk of the virus spreading ​is low.

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