An Oregon doctor who was aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius has tested positive for the disease himself. Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, a retired oncologist, was a passenger on the vessel but offered his medical assistance when fellow travellers began falling ill. At least three people have died in connection with the Oceanwide Expeditions voyage, which departed from Argentina on 1 April bound for Cape Verde, carrying 147 passengers, including several Americans.
Doctor's Positive Test
Dr. Kornfeld, currently receiving treatment at a biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, confirmed his “faint” positive result to CNN. The diagnosis emerged as Illinois health officials announced they are investigating a separate, unrelated potential hantavirus case in the state.
“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,” Kornfeld said. “I had three days of night sweats, a lot of chills, some mild respiratory and a lot of fatigue.”
The doctor noted that the night sweats and respiratory symptoms subsided quickly, but the fatigue persisted for two and a half weeks. “At the time, it was felt like this was just some virus,” he said. “And now, in retrospect, there is a question: could it have been hantavirus?”
Testing and Results
Kornfeld told CNN that he and several staff members underwent nasal swab tests earlier this month. The samples were frozen, flown to the Netherlands, and tested for hantavirus. Two laboratories conducted the tests, with one returning a negative result and the other showing a “faintly positive” result.
He is now awaiting further test results but reported feeling “great” at present. Kornfeld is the only passenger from the MV Hondius to remain in the biocontainment unit.
Illinois Investigation
In a separate development, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) confirmed on Tuesday that it is investigating a hantavirus case, though it is not linked to the cruise ship outbreak. “The resident lives in Winnebago County, has not travelled internationally, and has not come in contact with individuals associated with the MV Hondius outbreak,” an IDPH spokesperson said in a statement. “They are suspected to have acquired a North American strain of the virus while cleaning a home where rodent droppings were present.”
The spokesperson added that the resident is “not seriously ill” and is recovering after experiencing mild symptoms that did not require hospitalisation.
Risk Assessment
The IDPH emphasised that the risk of contracting hantavirus remains very low for Illinois residents, as North American strains are not known to spread from person to person. However, the Andes strain responsible for the cruise ship outbreak can, in rare cases, be transmitted between people.
