An oncologist traveling on the cruise ship at A.C Hanta virus outbreak He says he is the only American isolated in a special biocontainment unit in Nebraska.
Dr. Steven Kornfield of Bend, Oregon, says he volunteered to help care for fellow passengers who began falling ill on board the MV Hondius in April. He was among more than 120 passengers and crew evacuated from the ship and flown to various countries to enter quarantine.
While there are 15 other Americans Being monitored In the national quarantine unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Kornfeld was the only one transferred to a separate unit after a nasal swab he took on the ship tested positive for the virus.
“I feel 100 percent great,” Kornfeld told CNN’s Erin Burnett Outfront via video call from his hospital room on Tuesday.
He said there was a period on the ship when he developed flu-like symptoms including night sweats, chills and fatigue, but he said he has no symptoms now.
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that a total of 11 cases of Hantavirus infection A link to the cruise has been reported worldwide, including three deaths. Eight cases were confirmed through laboratory tests.
Kornfeld said the nasal swab he took on the ship was later tested twice in the Netherlands. One of the results was negative and the other was positive. He is now awaiting the results of a new test taken upon his return to the United States
“The initial test we received was from abroad and was inconclusive in its results,” Dr. David Vitter of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters on Wednesday. “So we are currently testing and hopefully we will have those results within a day or so.”
In addition to the passengers flown to Nebraska, other Americans are being monitored in the Serious Infectious Diseases Unit at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
Health authorities say this is the first outbreak of Hantavirus On a cruise ship. While there is no cure or vaccine for Hantavirus, the World Health Organization says early detection and treatment improves survival rates.
Public health officials say the risk to the general public from cruise ship outbreaks is low. Hantavirus is usually spread from rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people, although… Andes virus Discovered on Hondius may be able to spread among people in rare cases.
The World Health Organization recommends that passengers and cruise ship crew remain in quarantine, either at home or in other facilities, for 42 days.
Kornfield described his Nebraska residence as a hospital room with a comfortable bed.
“It’s a little weird being out here by myself,” he said. “But nurses come, doctors come. I use WhatsApp all the time. It’s really amazing how fast time flies.”