Oncologist Isolated After Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship
An oncologist from Bend, Oregon, is the only American currently in isolation at a specialized biocontainment unit in Nebraska following a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. Dr. Stephen Kornfeld volunteered to assist passengers who began falling ill aboard the MV Hondius in April. Over 120 other passengers and crew were also evacuated from the ship and flown to various countries for quarantine.
While there are 15 other Americans under observation at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Kornfeld was separated after a nasal swab taken on the ship tested positive for the virus.
“I feel wonderful, 100%,” Kornfeld shared during a video call with CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” from his hospital room on Tuesday.
He did experience flu-like symptoms while on the ship, which included night sweats, chills, and fatigue, but he has since recovered.
The World Health Organization announced Wednesday that there have been 11 hantavirus cases reported globally linked to this cruise, resulting in three fatalities. Out of these, eight cases have been confirmed through lab tests.
Kornfeld noted that his nasal swab was retested twice in the Netherlands; one result was negative, while the other came back positive. He is now waiting for results from a new test conducted upon his return to the U.S.
“The initial test we received from abroad was inconclusive,” explained Dr. David Fitter from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a press briefing. “We are currently in the testing process and expect results soon.”
Besides those at Nebraska, two more Americans are being monitored at Emory University Hospital’s serious communicable disease unit in Atlanta.
This is considered the first hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. While there is currently no cure or vaccine for hantavirus, early detection and treatment can improve survival rates, according to the WHO.
Public health officials have indicated that the risk to the general public from this incident is low, as hantavirus typically spreads through rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people. However, the Andes virus found on the Hondius may have the potential for rare human-to-human transmission.
The WHO recommends that passengers and crew from the cruise should remain in quarantine—either at home or in other facilities—for 42 days.
Kornfeld described his situation in Nebraska as being in a comfortable hospital room. “It’s a little weird being in here by myself,” he remarked. “But the nurses and doctors are very attentive. I’m on WhatsApp all the time. Time really flies.”
