Hantavirus Outbreak Update: US Case Found to Be False Positive
US hantavirus case was false positive; outbreak cases drop from 11 to 10
Ars Technica
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The World Health Organization has revised the hantavirus outbreak case count on the MV Hondius cruise ship from 11 to 10 after a previously reported US case was deemed a false positive. Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, who was initially counted among the cases, has tested negative for the virus and is now in quarantine.
- 01The US case was reported as 'mildly positive' but was later classified as inconclusive by the WHO.
- 02Dr. Stephen Kornfeld took nasal swabs for PCR testing, which returned mixed results from two labs.
- 03The initial illness experienced by Kornfeld occurred shortly after the first confirmed hantavirus case on the ship.
- 04Kornfeld's repeat tests for hantavirus were negative, confirming he is not currently infected.
- 05He has been moved from a biocontainment unit to a quarantine unit at the Nebraska Medical Center.
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During a press briefing on Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a revision in the case count of the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship in the South Atlantic. The count has been adjusted from 11 to 10 cases after a previously reported case in the US was found to be a false positive. Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, an American doctor aboard the ship, was initially included in the outbreak count due to a PCR test that yielded a faint positive result. However, this result was later deemed inconclusive. Kornfeld had developed a minor illness in early April, shortly after the first confirmed hantavirus case on the ship, which resulted in the death of a Dutch passenger. After further testing, including repeat PCR and serology tests, Kornfeld tested negative for hantavirus, indicating he has neither an active nor a prior infection. Consequently, he has been transferred from the biocontainment unit to a quarantine unit at the Nebraska Medical Center, where he and other US passengers are being monitored.
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The clarification of the case count may help alleviate concerns among passengers and the public regarding the outbreak's severity.
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