The hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius arrived at its last stop Monday. Now the waiting begins.
The diagnosis of a strain of the Andes strain of hantavirus — an infection that’s fatal in about 40% of cases — on a ship carrying people from roughly two dozen countries has given public health officials around the globe their first major test in controlling contagion since the Covid-19 pandemic. Countries are choosing different strategies to monitor potentially exposed passengers and stop the spread of the disease and to communicate with a nervous public anxious that the virus may have come closer to home.
Passengers on board the ship since early May are now entering the window when they will be most likely to develop symptoms, according to infectious disease experts.
Indeed, a Hondius passenger who had been quarantined in Canada and developed symptoms has been confirmed to be positive for the Andes strain of the hantavirus, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
“No one would be surprised if there are others that test positive this upcoming week,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the University of Toronto.
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