TORONTO — Ontario health officials are confirming there was no infectious disease outbreak aboard a train that was quarantined in northern Ontario after one woman died and several other passengers fell ill.
Officials say four of the five passengers who were ill before they boarded the train in Jasper, Alta., on Wednesday tested positive for seasonal flu, but none of the people seated near the group have shown flu symptoms.
They say another passenger who experienced flu-like symptoms had a cold.
One passenger who was airlifted to hospital Friday is in stable condition but didn't test positive for the flu or other respiratory illness.
One person has died aboard a Via Rail train carrying more than 260 passengers to Toronto and has been quarantined in northern Ontario. (Carol Woodhouse for The Globe and Mail)
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Officials say the death of an 86-year-old woman is still under investigation, but an infectious disease has been ruled out.
Medical teams in biohazard suits descended on the train Friday morning in Foleyet after the woman died in a washroom and six Australian tourists who boarded in Jasper reported feeling ill with respiratory and flu-like symptoms.
The train, travelling from Vancouver, arrived in Toronto on Saturday morning, about 11 hours behind schedule.
Saturday morning, the train had arrived at Toronto's Union Station, where passengers said they were a little weary but in good spirits.
“I'm amazed at how well the staff did. They really, really did take care of us. We had all these extra hours but they made sure we were comfortable,” Cecilia Damico said as she waited by the luggage carousel.
Ms. Damico said there were times it felt the delay “was never going to end” but that she was pleased with how well the crew kept passengers informed and occupied.
“We were doing crossword puzzles and reading and they gave everybody champagne,” she said.
“The crew was marvellous, they really were. They made sure that everybody was comfortable.”
Still, some passengers who were further away from the incident – the train was about 30 cars long – felt they weren't kept as well informed of what was happening as they would have liked.
“We didn't really know what was going on and we were stopped for eight hours,” said Elise Pettit, 19.
“They told us it was a medical emergency and we heard through word of mouth that someone passed away.”
Marco Morosoli, a Swiss native who's been travelling throughout North America by train, said he remained in the dark for about the first four hours of the delay.
“It was upsetting and exhausting,” said Lil Jamieson of Kelowna, B.C. “We're all day sitting there just looking out at the media and the ambulances.”
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