Goa, May 17 -- Canada has confirmed its first hantavirus case after a passenger from the MV Hondius tested positive for the Andes strain. Provincial health authorities in British Columbia said the infected person is from Yukon and is quarantined along with their spouse. Officials reported that one in four Canadians on the ship tested positive.

Four travellers linked to Canada - two couples from Yukon and British Columbia - were identified; health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said they had been transferred to Victoria and had not contacted the public. Authorities stressed the overall risk to Canadians remains low but are taking a cautious approach because the Andes strain can cause severe lung illness and can be fatal in up to 50% of cases, a...