Ontario Now Testing Asymptomatic People for Hantavirus; Low-Risk Cases to Stop Isolating if Negative
Officials said 26 low-risk contacts may end isolation after a negative test, while nine high-risk travellers remain in strict isolation.
- On Friday, the Ontario Ministry of Health announced it is now testing 10 asymptomatic individuals linked to a hantavirus-stricken cruise, shifting from earlier government guidance.
- Earlier this week, Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones cited guidance from the province's top doctor that asymptomatic testing was not appropriate, though officials now offer testing to support early detection.
- Nine individuals remain in high-risk isolation across Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario, while 26 low-risk contacts face a 45-day quarantine that they may shorten with a negative test.
- Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Joss Reimer warned that testing asymptomatic individuals might create a "false sense of security," as officials balance gathering information with preventing unnecessary exposures.
- The World Health Organization continues to monitor the Andes virus outbreak, as Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove noted symptoms can take six weeks to manifest; the WHO held an emergency scientific consultation Friday.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The Ontario Ministry of Health is testing ten asymptomatic people with a connection to the cruise where the hantavirus has spread, marking a reversal from the government's earlier statements.
Ontario is now testing for asymptomatic individuals related to a cruise ship affected by the hantavirus.
Ontario Now Testing 10 Asymptomatic People for Hantavirus; Low-Risk Cases to Stop Isolating If Negative
Ontario’s ministry of health says it is now testing 10 asymptomatic people with connections to a hantavirus-stricken cruise, a shift from government remarks made earlier this week. The province says the three “high-risk” travellers—two who were on the cruise and one who was on the same flight as a person who has since died of hantavirus—will stay in strict isolation regardless of their result. However, a ministry spokesperson says the seven “low…
Ontario now testing asymptomatic people for hantavirus; low-risk cases to stop isolating if negative
Ontario’s ministry of health says it is now testing 10 asymptomatic people with connections to a hantavirus-stricken cruise, a shift from government remarks made earlier this week.
Top doctor asked how public health teams handle 'low-risk' hantavirus exposures, testing
Dr. Joss Reimer, Canada's chief public health officer, says her team is working with provincial and territorial counterparts to create national guidance as the country sees both low-risk and higher-risk exposures to hantavirus related to a cluster of cases linked to a cruise ship.
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