Ontarians have little to no risk for hantavirus: province's chief medical officer | CBC News

"Ontario's chief medical officer of health says two Ontario residents who were on a cruise ship with passengers infected with hantavirus are in good spirits and showing no symptoms, while isolating in their rural community. Dr. Kieran Moore says the couple in the Grey Bruce Public Health Unit's area are being monitored for 45 days, the longest potential incubation period for the deadly virus. Moore says the couple disembarked the cruise ship on the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena in late April then flew to Johannesburg, South Africa, and an infected person was on that flight, so the couple was exposed in two settings."

"He says there is very little to no risk to the general public in Ontario and the couple remains asymptomatic. Four other Canadians are still on board the cruise ship that has seen reports of eight cases. This includes three deaths from the outbreak of the rodent-borne Andes virus, the only hantavirus known to be capable of limited transmission between humans. None of the Canadians who remain on the boat are from Ontario, Moore says."

"World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday his organization will work alongside a cruise ship operator and governments after cases of hantavirus were reported among passengers. Medical teams, he said, will take care of patients and work to 'prevent onward spread of the virus.' The top doctor says there was a national teleconference for public health leaders yesterday to co-ordinate efforts between federal, provincial and territories partners."

"Despite the low risk of the virus spreading widely, he acknowledges that hearing words like "contact tracing" for the first time since the pandemic can be anxiety-provoking. "I hope it doesn't trigger too many individuals, but I do want to assure Ontarians we have a plan. We're becoming experts in this type of activity on contact tracing, on monitoring, on te"

Two Ontario residents who were on a cruise ship with infected passengers are isolating in their rural community and remain in good spirits without symptoms. They are being monitored for 45 days, the longest potential incubation period for hantavirus. Exposure occurred in two settings: during the cruise and during a flight after disembarking on St. Helena and traveling through Johannesburg, where an infected person was on the flight. The risk to the general public in Ontario is described as very little to none. Four other Canadians remain on the cruise ship, where eight cases have been reported, including three deaths from the Andes virus. The World Health Organization will work with a cruise operator and governments to prevent onward spread, while public health leaders coordinate efforts through a national teleconference.

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