As CIDRAP’s Executive Director, Michael Osterholm, indicated just under two days ago, it is increasingly likely that this Andes-Virus H. was sent over the air, on the Hondius liner, by a so called “super-spreader”. That would explain a husband being positive (from the spreader) — but then he did not transmit to his wife (since the husband was not a super-spreader). So it may be less about the strain of Hantavirus, itself — and more about the host carrying it, onboard — a super-spreader.

Thus, it may well turn out to be something unique — about the biological makeup of the person who was the “index case” — onboard the liner… now over two weeks ago.

In any event, here is the latest word, out of the UK’s Guardian, tonight:

…Canadian officials said on Saturday that a test for one of the four Canadians currently quarantining in British Columbia after being exposed to the hantavirus while on board the cruise ship where the outbreak occurred indicated a positive result.

Speaking at a news conference, Dr Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer, said the individual developed mild symptoms, including fever and headache, two days ago, and that the individual and their partner, who had also been on board the cruise ship where they had been isolating together, were transferred to a hospital in Victoria for assessment and testing.

Henry said that on late Friday evening the test results for the individual who had been experiencing mild symptoms came back positive, but she stressed that the results were currently “what we call a presumptive positive” and that the samples have been sent to the national microbiology lab in Winnipeg for confirmatory testing. Results from those tests were expected to be confirmed over the course of the weekend, Henry said….

Onward — and I did cash a $53.50 ticket — on a $6 exacta box bet, with Napolean Solo winning the Preakness, and Iron Honor coming in second. I also had Great White, the Japanese horse who threw his mount before the start of the Derby (I was figuring he would be very ready to run, but alas — he finished out of the money). So it goes — babygrrl is in the air now, to Heathrow.

नमस्ते