Canada confirms hantavirus case linked to cruise ship outbreak that has killed three passengers

Canadian health officials on Sunday confirmed that one of four Canadians who returned from the MV Hondius cruise ship, the subject of an international Andes hantavirus outbreak, tested positive for hantavirus. Three people connected to the outbreak have died.

The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed the positive test after British Columbia’s top public health officer previously described the case as a "presumptive positive."

"One individual’s sample was confirmed positive for hantavirus," the agency said in a statement.

Officials said additional testing will be conducted at a national laboratory. It was not immediately clear whether that testing was for confirmation, strain characterization or another purpose.

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER DESCRIBES UNCERTAINTY AFTER 3 DEATHS AMID HANTAVIRUS PROBE

The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring the rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius, which has sickened multiple passengers.

As of May 13, the World Health Organization said 11 cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case. Those figures included three deaths. The Associated Press later reported that the Canadian confirmation brought the number of people from the ship who had tested positive to 10.

Canadian health officials said four Canadians returned home from the MV Hondius, though only one has tested positive for the virus.

RARE HANTAVIRUS HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION SUSPECTED ON LUXURY CRUISE SHIP WHERE 3 HAVE DIED

The confirmed patient and a traveling companion — identified as a Yukon couple in their 70s — returned from the cruise together. The companion later tested negative, officials said.

A third person in their 70s from Vancouver Island remains in isolation, along with a British Columbia resident in their 50s.

So far, no confirmed U.S. cases tied to the cruise ship have been reported, though WHO said as of May 13 that one U.S.-repatriated passenger had inconclusive laboratory results and was undergoing retesting.

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Last week, however, health officials in Ontario County, New York, announced they were investigating a suspected locally acquired hantavirus case unrelated to the cruise ship.

The Ontario County Public Health Department said there was no risk to the general public. Officials also said the strain typically seen in the United States is not known to spread from person to person.

The outbreak linked to the MV Hondius began after the Dutch cruise ship, carrying 147 passengers and crew members, departed Argentina on April 1 for a South Atlantic voyage.

TRAPPED CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER SHARES UPDATE ON CLEANLINESS OF SHIP AMID DEADLY HANTAVIRUS OUTBREAK

The outbreak has prompted heightened precautions internationally, including in the Netherlands, where Radboud University Medical Center quarantined 12 staff members after officials said a hantavirus patient’s blood and urine were not handled under the strictest protocols recommended for the virus strain.

The outbreak has also sparked comparisons to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel previously told Fox News Digital there is "no comparison."

He noted hantavirus is difficult to spread.

"It's not airborne ... in terms of respiratory droplets hanging in the air," he said. "It's very difficult to transmit."

While coronavirus "moved in the direction of humans in a significant way," hantavirus has not, except for "very rare" cases of human-to-human transmission, he added.

The World Health Organization has assessed the risk to the global population as low, while noting that current evidence suggests subsequent human-to-human transmission may have occurred on board. Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to have documented person-to-person transmission, though such spread is considered rare.

Siegel also noted hantavirus cases have been reported in the United States for decades, though they remain "very rare."

Fox News Digital’s Brittany Miller and Angelica Stabile, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.

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ISIS terror leader at large after US strike kills top commander amid rising Africa threat: analyst

Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, ISIS’s shadow commander in West Africa, was killed May 16 using what an extremism analyst describes as one of the hardest forms of intelligence to detect, after decades being shielded by "deep local networks" across the region.

While the killing dealt one of the biggest blows to ISIS’s global network in years, disrupting operations in northeastern Nigeria, the terror group's top leader, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, remains at large as Africa becomes the movement's global epicenter.

"There is no single ISIS ‘headquarters’ in Nigeria; ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) operates dozens of small, shifting camps scattered across the Lake Chad islands and the Borno bush," Dr. Omar Mohammed, Senior Research Fellow at the GW Program on Extremism, told Fox News Digital.

"Al-Minuki would have had no smartphones, relying instead on courier-based communications and constant movement between these small camps," he said.

TRUMP TARGETS ISIS IN NIGERIA AMID WARNINGS SAHEL REGION IS BECOMING ‘EPICENTER OF TERRORISM’

President Donald Trump’s explicit reference to "sources who kept us informed" points directly to human intelligence, or HUMINT — the hardest form of intelligence for a target to detect or counter, Mohammed explained.

The precision strike successfully penetrated defenses that had been held for years.

"He would have utilized deep local networks the Nigerian military has struggled to penetrate for over a decade," Mohammed added.

MS NOW GUEST SUGGESTS TRUMP STRIKE IN NIGERIA WAS RACIALLY MOTIVATED VIOLENCE

"His operational security would have been severe," Mohammed said. "But two things eventually undo even careful targets: time generates patterns, and human sources are extremely difficult to defeat."

"Despite severe operational security, al-Minuki was ultimately compromised through persistent human intelligence," he noted. "Al-Minuki knew he was marked."

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The Nigerian army described the strike as "a meticulously planned and highly complex precision air-land operation" carried out Saturday between midnight and 4 a.m. in Metele, located in Borno State in northeast Nigeria.

U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, placed the strike in northeastern Nigeria, with Nigerian army communications pointing specifically to the Metele region.

Despite the tactical success, the current ISIS "caliph," or overall leader, remains on the run, according to reports.

Al-Qurashi was "named following his predecessor’s death in Syria," Mohammed claimed.

"He is deliberately faceless, with analysts describing this line of leaders as the ‘caliphs of the shadows,’" Mohammed said, noting al-Qurashi assumed leadership after Turkish authorities killed his predecessor in 2023.

While al-Qurashi’s exact location is unknown, reports indicate he traveled from Syria or Iraq through Yemen to Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region.

"This is where the financial hub also sits, meaning the entire center of gravity of the organization — leadership, finance, operational direction — has been quietly relocating to Africa for years," Mohammed said.

RUSSIAN MERCENARIES REPLACE WESTERN FORCES AS ISIS SURGES ACROSS AFRICA'S SAHEL REGION

Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project confirms this regional shift, showing more than two-thirds of all Islamic State global activity now takes place in Africa.

"Africa has transitioned from a peripheral theater to the operational and financial center of global ISIS activity," Mohammed explained. "Africa is no longer a peripheral theater. It is the main one. Funding is overwhelmingly local and extractive — taxation, ransom, smuggling — which is precisely why these networks are so resilient."

"Al-Minuki, for example, rose through ISWAP and operated across the Lake Chad Basin and into the wider Sahel," he noted.

"Still, staking out al-Minuki is the most significant blow to ISIS’ global leadership architecture since the al-Baghdadi raid in 2019, executed in the theater that has quietly become the group’s beating heart," Mohammed said before adding the strike was "not a one-off kinetic moment."

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Maldives military diver dies searching for four Italian divers missing inside underwater cave system

A perilous search for the bodies of four Italian divers missing deep inside a Maldivian cave was halted Saturday after a military diver died during the mission.

Mohamed Mahdi, a member of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died from decompression sickness during the dangerous mission, Maldives presidential spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said.

A group of five Italian divers vanished Thursday during what investigators say was an unauthorized deep dive that far exceeded the Maldives’ recreational diving limit.

The victims included marine researchers and experienced divers, among them Monica Montefalcone, an ecology professor at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.

BAGPIPER DIES DOING POPULAR VACATION ATTRACTION DAYS BEFORE MISSING SON’S REMAINS FOUND IN BACKYARD TREEHOUSE

Gianluca Benedetti was found dead near the cave entrance shortly after the group disappeared. Authorities believe the bodies of the four remaining divers are trapped deep inside a cave system about 160 feet underwater near Vaavu Atoll.

The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.

Carlo Sommacal, Montefalcone’s husband and Giorgia’s father, expressed doubts over the accident, saying that "something must have happened down there" given his wife and daughter's extensive experience.

Speaking to Italian TV, he described Montefalcone as a careful and highly disciplined diver who would never put her daughter or other colleagues at risk.

Search crews say brutal underwater conditions, limited oxygen and the complexity of the cave system have made recovery efforts extremely dangerous.

"The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission," a government spokesman said after Mahdi’s death.

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The Italian Foreign Ministry said the cave system consists of three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Rescue teams explored two chambers Friday but were forced to stop because of decompression risks.

Officials are now awaiting the arrival of three Finnish cave-diving specialists to reassess the operation.

Albatros Top Boat, an Italian tour operator that managed the diving trip, denied authorizing the descent and said the divers appeared to be using standard recreational equipment instead of specialized gear required for technical cave diving, its lawyer told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Saturday.

The Maldives Tourism Ministry has suspended the operating license of the expedition vessel involved in the trip as the investigation continues.

Experts warn cave diving is among the world’s most dangerous underwater activities, especially at extreme depths where visibility can disappear instantly and escape routes become limited.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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King Charles 'shocked and saddened' over soldier's 'unexplained' death at horse show he attended

Buckingham Palace said King Charles III was "shocked and saddened" to find out a British soldier died after a fall at a horse show the royal was attending this week.

The soldier died during a display of the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Friday evening.

The unidentified soldier fell after leaving the arena following the display, and despite being treated, their injuries were serious, and they died at the scene, the Thames Valley Police said in a release.

The police said the horse show would continue as planned on Saturday but without another display of the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery.

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Charles attended the horse show, which is on the grounds of Windsor Castle, along with his younger brother Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, and his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, their daughter Lady Louise, who was working at the show, and the king's sister Princess Anne.

Following the soldier's death, the king met with members of the King’s Troop at the horse show after returning on Saturday.

QUEEN CAMILLA ONCE BELIEVED KATE MIDDLETON WAS 'TOO COMMON' TO MARRY A FUTURE KING, AUTHOR CLAIMS

"While His Majesty and other members of the royal family were present at the arena at the time the incident took place, they were not made aware of the severity of the situation until later," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said, according to the London Times.

The spokesperson added, "The King was greatly shocked and saddened to have learned subsequently of the troop member’s death and will be in touch with the family to share his personal condolences. The thoughts and most heartfelt sympathies of the whole royal family are with the victim’s loved ones and military colleagues at this time of grief."

Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s after-hours request for comment.

The annual horse show is the only time the private grounds of Windsor Castle are open to the public.

On Saturday morning, the police appealed to the public for any information about the "unexplained but non-suspicious death" of the soldier.

"At this stage, we have not found any suspicious circumstances," police said in a post on Facebook. "We are working with the British Army, Ministry of Defence, the Defence Accident Investigation Branch and Royal Windsor Horse Show organisers HPower to gather as much information as possible to understand how this happened."

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WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a public health emergency after 80 suspected deaths

The World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa an international public health emergency on Sunday after dozens of suspected deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, the WHO said.

The declaration follows reports of 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases as of Saturday across at least three health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.

The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring a rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which left multiple passengers and crew members sick, and caused three deaths.

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As of May 13, the WHO said 11 hantavirus cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case.

In neighboring Uganda’s capital, Kampala, the WHO said two apparently unrelated laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases — including one death — were reported Friday and Saturday involving people who had traveled from the DRC.

Another laboratory-confirmed case was reported in the DRC capital of Kinshasa involving a person returning from Ituri province.

Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.

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However, unlike Ebola-Zaire strains, there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain, which the WHO described as making the outbreak "extraordinary."

The WHO warned the outbreak could be larger than currently reported due to the high positivity rate among initial samples and the growing number of suspected cases.

The outbreak also poses a public health risk to other countries, the WHO said, urging nations to activate emergency-management systems and implement cross-border screening measures.

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Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal disease spread through bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and semen. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and internal bleeding.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said Congo has a "strong track record" responding to Ebola outbreaks while announcing the release of $500,000 in emergency funding to support containment efforts.

The WHO said it will convene an emergency committee to review recommendations for how affected countries should respond.

The organization did not recommend border closures or travel restrictions.

Congo has now recorded 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976.

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Brittany Miller, along with Reuters, contributed to this report.

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Man dies after attack by 13-foot great white shark near popular island resort: officials

A 38-year-old man died on Saturday after he was attacked by a 13-foot shark in Australia.

The attack happened at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island on Australia’s western coast just before 10 a.m., police said. 

The island is located about 19 miles west of Perth.

The man was brought back to shore but never regained consciousness.

"A 38-year-old man was in the water at Horseshoe Reef when he was believed to have been bitten by a shark," a spokesperson for St. John WA Ambulance told People.

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"The man was conveyed by vessel to shore, where he was met by St. John WA paramedics. Sadly, the man was unable to be revived."

Fox News Digital has reached out to St. John WA Ambulance.

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The death is the second fatal attack in Australia so far this year.

Perth's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development told the AFP news agency that it was urging the public to take "additional caution" in the area, according to BBC News.

The agency added that it was reported to be a great white shark.

Footage of the incident provided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation showed police at the scene with a boat and rescue officers.

In January, a 12-year-old died a week after he was attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbor.

Three others were attacked within the same two days along the New South Wales coast in non-fatal incidents.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Several injured after car plows into Italy crowd, driver stabs passerby: report

A car reportedly drove into a crowd in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring several people.

The vehicle slammed into a store window, and its driver allegedly stabbed a passerby who attempted to intervene, Reuters reported, citing local Italian media.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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