Canadian public health officials are contacting 26 air passengers across the country after they may have had low risk exposure to hantavirus linked to the deadly outbreak on the MV Hondius luxury cruise ship.
According to Global News, Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Joss Reimer, said the passengers shared flights with a confirmed hantavirus case. However, officials do not consider them close contacts because of where they were seated during the flight.
The affected travellers are being asked to monitor for possible symptoms, while nine people in Canada have been classified as high risk exposure cases and have been instructed to self isolate. Health officials say the situation is being handled with strong public health measures.
Reimer said the overall risk to the general Canadian population remains low. She added that Canada has clear procedures in place and that further spread of the virus within the country is not expected at this time.
Public health authorities say they are taking the outbreak seriously while continuing to support Canadians both at home and abroad. For more updates on Canadian health and public safety news, visit https://www.weeklyvoice.com and https://www.weeklyvoice.com/category/canada.
