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.

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. Stephen Kornfeld told CNN on May 12 he was being monitored inside a biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, though he was not showing symptoms. Kornfeld said he briefly developed flu-like symptoms while treating sick passengers aboard the MV Hondius, but the illness quickly passed.

Kornfeld, an avid birder, originally joined the cruise hoping to spot rare bird species on remote islands. Hantavirus can be contracted when people come into contact with rodents like rats and mice, and especially when exposed to rodent urine, droppings and saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Andes virus is the only Hantavirus known to be transmitted among people, and this type of spread typically occurs only with close contact with someone who is infected. There currently is no cure or specific treatment for Hantavirus infections. Health officials also continue tracing passengers who left the ship before quarantine measures were fully in place.

According to reports, several other passengers remained quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid. The MV Hondius is now headed to the Netherlands, where the vessel will undergo cleaning and disinfection. There was no indication the outbreak is turning into a larger global health threat, according to the World Health Organization.