Further medical tests found no evidence the US doctor was infected with hantavirus.
Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, the American doctor who initially tested positive for hantavirus after falling ill aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, has now tested negative following additional examinations in Nebraska.
Doctors at the University of Nebraska Medical Center said the original result was likely a false positive. Kornfeld, who was admitted to the hospital’s biocontainment unit earlier this week, said he now feels healthy and symptom-free.
“I physically feel great,” Kornfeld told ABC News. “It’s nice to be negative for hantavirus.”
Medical officials explained that follow-up testing showed no signs of past or current hantavirus infection. Dr. Angela Hewlett, director of the hospital’s biocontainment unit, said there was “no evidence” Kornfeld had contracted the virus.
Kornfeld developed flu-like symptoms shortly after another passenger on the cruise ship died from hantavirus. He said his symptoms included fatigue, cough, sore throat, and sweats, which he initially believed was a common viral illness spreading on the ship.
The Oregon-based doctor remains under observation in Nebraska alongside other passengers from the cruise vessel who are completing quarantine protocols.
Health experts continue monitoring the situation closely as investigations into the hantavirus exposure aboard the cruise ship continue.