An oncologist who was among Americans evacuated from a cruise ship after a hantavirus outbreak tied to the Hondius changed course again this week, moving out of an isolated biocontainment unit in Nebraska and into a monitoring program alongside others, according to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Kornfeld, Dr. Stephen Kornfeld of Bend, Oregon, had been the lone American placed in the special biocontainment unit after an on-ship nasal swab he took produced inconclusive results about whether he had the virus. Hospital spokesperson Kayla Thomas said Wednesday that Kornfeld will now join 15 other Americans who were taken for monitoring at the National Quarantine Unit instead of remaining in biocontainment.
Before the move was announced, Kornfeld appeared on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” on a video call from his hospital room, saying, “I feel wonderful, 100%.” He told viewers that he had experienced flu-like symptoms during a period on the ship, including night sweats, chills and fatigue, but said he has no symptoms now.
Kornfeld’s case rested on laboratory work after the cruise evacuation. He said a nasal swab he took on the ship was later tested twice in the Netherlands, with one result negative and the other positive. He said earlier this week he was awaiting results from a new test taken when he returned to the U.S.
Dr. David Fitter of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters Wednesday that “The initial test that we received was from abroad and it was inconclusive in its results.” The hospital had also placed Kornfeld and others into quarantine-related settings after evacuating more than 120 passengers and crew, flown to different countries, the report said.
In parallel with the Nebraska medical decisions, international health tracking continued to shape the broader response. The World Health Organization said Wednesday that a total of 11 hantavirus cases linked to the cruise have been reported worldwide, including three deaths, and that eight cases have been confirmed by laboratory tests.
Health authorities said it was the first hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, and they said there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus. They said early detection and treatment improves survival rates, while also adding that the risk to the general public from the cruise ship outbreak is low because hantavirus typically spreads from rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people.
The WHO recommended that passengers and crew from the cruise ship stay in quarantine, either at home or other facilities, for 42 days, according to the Associated Press report. Officials said hantavirus is generally not easily transmitted between people, though the Andes virus detected on the Hondius may be able to spread between people in rare cases.
Kornfeld described the biocontainment unit in Nebraska as a hospital room with a comfortable bed, and said it was “a little weird being in here by myself.” He added that the nurses and doctors came in and that he was “on WhatsApp all the time,” saying, “It’s really amazing how quickly time flies.”