Canada’s Chief Medical Officer Health says the risk of a hantavirus pandemic is “very low” as an investigation is underway into three more Canadians who may been in brief contact with a confirmed case.
In an update from Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Friday, Dr. Joss Reimer said public health investigations are currently underway regarding two people in Alberta and one person in Ontario that were on the other flight where a confirmed case was briefly on board.
They have been back in Canada for over a week and are all asymptomatic. Reimer said they were notified about those on the second flight on Thursday.
“I want to be clear that there is no evidence that asymptomatic individuals can spread hantavirus to others,” said Reimer. “However, as illness could develop at any time, we are still recommending that these individuals stay isolated until their risk period for the appearance of infection has passed.”
“Even if they were infected, the likelihood that they have transmitted it over a week before symptoms start is negligible.”
When asked if there is a risk of a hantavirus pandemic, Dr. Reimer said, “It’s not a virus that is transmitted the same way as COVID-19, for example, it’s much harder to transmit from person to person.”
In total, there are six Canadians isolating in Canada, two in Alberta, three in Ontario and one in Quebec.
Meanwhile, 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 at home in their rural community.
Dr. Kieran Moore tells CityNews that 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.
“The good news is they had no symptoms since leaving the ship and have remained symptom-free,” Moore explained. “We’re monitoring these individuals. We’ve committed to work them for 45 full days to monitor their symptoms and ensure if they get any, we provide the right care to them.”
Moore says it’s been recommended that the passengers stay in isolation and they have agreed not to leave their home.
Reimer noted Friday none of the individuals who have been exposed have been tested for the hantavirus as there is no validated test for asymptomatic individuals.
“That means, if we were to do a test on them … my biggest worry is, if it came back negative, that that could falsely reassure them that they’re not infected when in fact, we wouldn’t be confident of that and might lead them to take less precautions than what they’ve been directed to take from us.”
Four other Canadians are still on board the cruise ship that has seen reports of eight cases, including three deaths from the outbreak of the rodent-borne Andes virus, the only hantavirus known to be capable of limited transmission between humans.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says one consular officer has arrived in the Canary Islands, where the cruise ship is set to arrive Sunday morning.
Dr. Reimer said they are looking into potentially bringing the four Canadians home in a chartered plane rather than have them board a commercial flight.
“If we can bring them home in a safe way, it would be preferable for them and preferable for us.”
Anand tells The Canadian Press that roughly 50 foreign service workers have been tasked with reaching out to those affected by the outbreak and responding to questions from Canadians.
The minister says Canada’s embassies in The Hague and Madrid are helping, along with emergency support, human resources and financial teams.
A Canada Border Services Agency spokesman told The Canadian Press there are no enhanced measures at the border — but that could change if the Public Health Agency of Canada orders it. Officers determine entry on a case-by-case basis and the CBSA has given front-line staff information about hantavirus symptoms and sanitary measures to protect themselves.