90-Second Read: American oncologist who became cruise ship's de-facto head doctor amid Hantavirus outbreak speaks to ABC News

After the MV Hondius' doctor contracted the Hantavirus, one American doctor onboard jumped into action to help passengers. After the doctor on the cruise ship MV Hondius contracted the Hantavirus, an American doctor onboard jumped into action to help passengers navigate the outbreak. One of the patients died and the other two, the physician and one of the other staff members, were getting progressively sicker, and then the first news of Hantavirus came out." The ship's doctor and a ship's guide who tested positive are under isolation in the Netherlands. Stephen Kornfeld, an oncologist from Bend, Oregon, told ABC News that he quickly realized he was leading the response to a full-blown medical crisis on board the cruise ship. The ship's unidentified doctor was among the six people onboard who.

None of the 17 Americans onboard the boat have tested positive for the virus as of Saturday afternoon. Kornfeld, who went bird watching while on the cruise, told ABC News that the whole ship came together to get through the crisis. These people have started to become my family." The doctor said that while he is feeling "a little vulnerable" he is in good health. A British man who tested positive is hospitalized in South Africa while a Swiss man is hospitalized in Switzerland. A Dutch woman who tested positive died on April 26 in South Africa while a German woman who tested positive died on May 2.

It just kind of escalated to within 24 hours after I stepped in. There were a lot of people kind of helping and working, and it really felt like a team." he said. Days have gone by and nobody's having symptoms, and I know very soon I will be I'll have access to very, very good medical care. Centers for Disease Control said the Americans will be flown out to Nebraska where they will be evaluated, but there will be no mandatory quarantine. Regarding the visit to the unit, Kornfeld said: \"Well, I've never been bird watching in Nebraska.\

The boat is slated to arrive at the Canary Islands Sunday morning where the passengers will disembark and be flown back to their home countries. The National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska, is prepared to treat and observe those patients.