An Oregon doctor who was aboard a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the disease. Dr Stephen Kornfeld, a retired oncologist, was on the MV Hondius as a civilian but offered medical assistance when passengers fell ill. At least three people have died on the voyage, which began in Argentina and was due to end in Cape Verde, carrying 147 passengers.
Dr Kornfeld is currently in a biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center after receiving a “faintly positive” result for hantavirus. He described his symptoms, which began around 10 April, as flu-like, including night sweats, chills, mild respiratory issues and fatigue that persisted for two and a half weeks. Nasal swabs were taken and flown to the Netherlands, where one lab returned a negative result and another a faint positive.
The doctor told CNN he feels “great” now and is awaiting further test results. In a separate development unrelated to the cruise ship, Illinois health officials confirmed a case of hantavirus in Winnebago County. The patient, who had not travelled internationally or been in contact with anyone from the MV Hondius, is believed to have contracted the North American strain while cleaning a home with rodent droppings. The patient is recovering at home.
Health officials noted that North American strains of hantavirus rarely spread from person to person, unlike the Andes strain linked to the cruise ship, which can be transmitted between people in rare cases.
