No Manitoba cases of hantavirus: province’s public health officer

Manitobans don’t appear to be at risk of hantavirus, the chief provincial public health officer said Thursday.

“This is a serious but isolated event,” Dr. Brent Roussin said. “We’ll see how this evolves.”

Several people on a cruise ship travelling to Spain’s Canary Islands have contracted the virus; three passengers have died on board.

The World Health Organization stressed there’s a “low” risk of transmission to the general public, Thomson Reuters reported Thursday.

Cruise passengers are expected to disembark Sunday.

“This reminds us that we continue to see emerging infections over time, and we need to ensure we’re taking precautions,” Roussin said. 

“But at this point, no, I’m not aware of any Manitobans (with cases), and… Manitoba is not going to be affected by this.”