British Columbia’s public health officer provided an update today on the four Canadians removed from a cruise ship that saw an outbreak of a human-spread strain of the hantavirus.

That brings to 6 the total number of Canadians who were on the ship and are back in the country, two of whom are in Ontario.

The total number of cases linked to the MV Hondius has increased to nine, including three people who died, and a person who returned to France and is now reported to be very sick.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says the four Canadians in British Columbia include a couple in their 70s who are from the Yukon, and two others from B.C., one in their 70s and the other in their 50s who is from B.C. but lives abroad.

She says all four will be kept in isolation for a minimum of 21 days, with their conditions being monitored daily.

Hantavirus has a known incubation period of 42 days, but the Canadians in question are at very low risk, not having had any known contact with those who contracted the illness.

“As we see the situation evolve globally and here, that might be extended…as far as the full 42 days, but as you can imagine that’s quite a burden on people…especially as the risk diminishes over time.”

Dr. Henry acknowledged the anxiety being felt among passengers and those around the world, but says hantavirus is very different from COVID that spread very rapidly around the world.

“It’s not what we would consider a disease of pandemic potential. It is, however, a very serious illness. So, I think of it as a serious, important disease that we need to understand. We need to understand the risk to these individuals, but it’s limited in terms of we don’t expect to see transmission now that people are safely in isolation and being monitored, to people outside of those who were exposed on that cruise ship.”