Two Ontario residents who had been on board theMV Hondius cruise ship during a hantavirus outbreak remain asymptomatic in Grey-Bruce County.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, toldCP24the pair arrived back home on April 25 and are being observed in their rural community for 45 days, which is the virus’ longest potential incubation period.
Moore said it’s unlikely the Ontarians might have passed hantavirus to anyone since returning to the province, as there’s no indication they have it.
“Thankfully, they remain asymptomatic, and this is many days out from their travel and return to Ontario, so we have good assurance that they had not inadvertently spread any risk to the general public, and we remain in daily contact with them if they do develop symptoms,” Moore told CP24.
Moore said the couple disembarked in late April on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, then flew to Johannesburg on the same flight as an infected person, meaning they were exposed in two places.
Four Canadians still aboard ship
Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator of the MV Hondius, said four Canadians are still on board the ship. Moore said none are from Ontario.
Three people — a Dutch couple and a German national — have died in the hantavirus outbreak that hit the MV Hondius cruise ship in early April. The ship had been travelling from Southern Argentina to Cape Verde, Africa, where it is docked.
There were eight reported cases of the hantavirus, with five confirmed and three suspected.
Moore noted public health leaders across the country met virtually on Thursday to co-ordinate efforts.
“I hope it doesn’t trigger too many individuals, but I do want to assure Ontarians we have a plan,” he said, via The Canadian Press. “We’re becoming experts in this type of activity on contact tracing, on monitoring, on testing, and ensuring Ontarians get the right care at the right time.
Canadian consular officials plan to meet with the ship when it docks are in Granadilla, Tenerife in the Canary Islands this weekend.
