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An oncologist traveling on a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak has become the only American isolated in a specialized biocontainment unit in Nebraska.
Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, from Bend, Oregon, volunteered to assist fellow passengers who fell ill aboard the MV Hondius in April, after which he was evacuated along with over 120 others to various countries for quarantine.
While 15 other Americans are being monitored at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Kornfeld was taken to a separate unit following a positive nasal swab test for the virus conducted on the ship.“I feel wonderful, 100%,” Kornfeld stated during a video call with CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” from his hospital room on Tuesday.
He recounted experiencing flu-like symptoms, including night sweats, chills, and fatigue, during his time on the ship, but he currently reports no symptoms.
The World Health Organization announced on Wednesday that there are 11 confirmed hantavirus cases associated with the cruise, including three fatalities, with laboratory tests confirming eight of those cases.
Kornfeld explained that a nasal swab he took aboard the ship was tested twice in the Netherlands, yielding one negative and one positive result. He is now awaiting results from a new test taken after his return to the United States.
Dr. David Fitter from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed, “The initial test that we received was from abroad and it was inconclusive in its results. So we’re in the process of testing currently and we hope to have those results back in a day or so.”
In addition to those quarantined in Nebraska, two other Americans are being monitored at the serious communicable disease unit at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
This incident marks the first hantavirus outbreak reported on a cruise ship. Health authorities note that while there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus, early detection and treatment can improve survival rates.
Public health officials assert that the general risk to the public from this outbreak remains low. Hantavirus primarily spreads through rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between humans, although the Andes virus identified on the Hondius may present rare transmission risks.
The WHO has advised that all passengers and crew from the cruise ship remain in quarantine, either at home or in designated facilities, for a period of 42 days.
Kornfeld described his accommodations in Nebraska as a hospital room with a comfortable bed, saying, “It’s a little weird being in here by myself. But the nurses come in, the doctors come in. I’m on WhatsApp all the time. It’s really amazing how quickly time flies.”
