90-Second Read: Oregon doctor who helped cruise patients tests positive for Hantavirus

A retired Bend doctor who helped care for passengers aboard a cruise ship hit by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak has now tested positive for the virus. Health officials believe a Dutch couple who became sick during the trip were exposed to the rodent-borne Andes Hantavirus while on a birdwatching excursion in Argentina. Hantavirus is rare in the United States, but when infections do occur, the most commonly reported form is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which is primarily associated with the deer mouse.

The Oregon doctor said in the interview that the experience has been strange but manageable as he stays connected with family and friends through his phone while doctors continue monitoring his condition. The outbreak tied to the cruise ship has grown to about a dozen cases with three confirmed deaths. A French passenger from the cruise was also reportedly in intensive care at a hospital in Paris.

But after the ship's physician became ill, he stepped in to help monitor patients, comfort frightened passengers, and assist crew members trying to contain the spread of the virus. Hantaviruses are multiple viruses within the same family that can cause serious illnesses and death. Kornfeld, an avid birder, originally joined the cruise hoping to spot rare bird species on remote islands.