Andes hantavirus case confirmed in Victoria quarantine patient

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that one of four individuals placed under quarantine in the Island Health region tested presumptive positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus. The four passengers arrived at Victoria International Airport on May 10 after a cruise ship was identified as having been exposed to the virus earlier in the month.

The positive case is a member of a couple in their 70s from Yukon; the couple and another 70‑year‑old Island resident are in hospital isolation, while the fourth person, a 50‑year‑old British Columbia resident living abroad, remains in home quarantine. The patient reported mild symptoms, is stable, and is receiving care, with confirmatory results pending from the National Microbiology Laboratory. The spouse tested negative. Island Health officials emphasized that hospitals remain safe and urged residents not to delay medical care.

The incident involves the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and highlights ongoing monitoring of the rare hantavirus exposure.