US hantavirus case was false positive; outbreak cases drop from 11 to 10

In a recent update, health officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) have announced a reduction in the reported cases of the hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius. The case count has dropped from 11 to 10 following the determination that a previously reported case from the United States was a false positive. Initially flagged as 'mildly positive' by U.S. health authorities, the case was deemed inconclusive by the WHO. Despite this uncertainty, it was included in the agency's outbreak reports issued on May 13 and during a briefing on May 14. The inconclusive case involved Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, an American physician who was part of the response team after the ship’s doctor fell ill. Dr. Kornfeld shared insights during an interview with CNN, explaining that he and other crew members had undergone nasal swab testing in early May, prior to their evacuation. These tests were subsequently sent to laboratories in the Netherlands for PCR analysis. The results were conflicting; one laboratory indicated a negative result while the other registered a faint positive. Such faint positives can indicate low viral levels or even contamination. Complicating matters further, Dr. Kornfeld reported experiencing mild illness in early April, shortly after the outbreak began with the first case involving a Dutch passenger who tragically passed away on board. In a follow-up interview with ABC News, Kornfeld confirmed that subsequent tests yielded negative results, as did serological tests for hantavirus antibodies, which would have indicated a past infection. Consequently, Dr. Kornfeld has been moved from a biocontainment unit to a standard quarantine unit at the Nebraska Medical Center, where he and other U.S. passengers from the Hondius are being closely monitored for their health.