Three Canadians isolate after possible hantavirus exposure

Two Canadians who were on a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak are now isolating in Ontario, while a third possible contact is isolating in Quebec, federal officials said Thursday. Health and Foreign Affairs ministers said the two people left the vessel before the outbreak was announced and are not showing symptoms. They have been told to selfisolate and are being monitored by local health authorities. Ontario officials said the case remains under review, but the current assessment is that the two individuals are not considered a transmission risk. The monitoring period is expected to last about 30 days, starting when they returned to Ontario. A third Canadian who was on the same flight but not on the cruise ship may have been exposed to a symptomatic person and has since returned home to Quebec. Quebec health officials said no confirmed hantavirus cases have been identified in the province. Federal officials also said they are contacting four other Canadians who were aboard the MV Hondius and are working with authorities in the Canary Islands to ensure public health protocols are followed.