Canada’s national health agency announced on Sunday (May 17, 2026) that one of four Canadians who recently returned from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the virus.
The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed the case after a public health officer in British Columbia reported an “initial positive” result. Further testing at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg later confirmed the diagnosis.
A couple in their 70s from Yukon are hospitalized in Victoria, with one confirmed positive and the other tested negative. The four Canadians returned to British Columbia on May 10, 2026. The others include a person from Vancouver Island and another from British Columbia who lives abroad. All are currently isolated.
Since the outbreak began on the MV Hondius cruise ship, three people have died. The Canadian patient is the 10th confirmed case linked to the ship. Among those who died are a Dutch couple believed to have been the first exposed while visiting South America.
The Canadian health agency is taking steps to protect citizens and has informed the World Health Organization about the positive case to support global investigations.
“The risk to the general population in Canada remains low,” the agency stated. All confirmed cases so far have been passengers or crew on the MV Hondius cruise ship.