A retired oncologist who was aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak has spoken out after testing positive for the disease. Dr Stephen Kornfeld, who was a civilian passenger on the vessel, offered his assistance when passengers began falling ill.
At least three people have died aboard the Oceanwide Expeditions ship, which departed from Argentina on 1 April with 147 passengers, including several Americans. Dr Kornfeld tested 'faintly positive' for hantavirus and is now isolated in a biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Describing his symptoms, he said: 'Early in April, maybe the 10th or so, a number of us onboard came down with what felt like a flu-like illness or the ship's flu. I had three days of night sweats, a lot of chills, some mild respiratory and a lot of fatigue.' The night sweats and respiratory issues passed, but fatigue persisted for two and a half weeks.
Dr Kornfeld said he felt 'great' currently and was awaiting results of further tests. Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed an unrelated hantavirus case in a resident who had not travelled internationally and likely contracted a North American strain while cleaning rodent droppings.
The Andes strain responsible for the cruise outbreak is known to spread person-to-person in rare cases, unlike the North American strains. The Illinois patient is recovering with mild symptoms and did not require hospitalisation.
