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Hantavirus live updates: American who initially tested positive now tests negative

A flight carrying U.S. citizens who were on the ship arrived Monday in Nebraska.

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Last updated: Thursday, May 14, 2026 2:33PM GMT
Americans in quarantine seen in good spirits

The total number of confirmed and probable cases of hantavirus of those who were onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship stands at 10, including two people confirmed to have died from the virus and one person who remains suspected to have died from the virus.

Sixteen American passengers arrived on Monday at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Fifteen of those passengers were being monitored in a quarantine unit and another, who had initially tested positive, was in a biocontainment unit, officials said. Later, that person tested negative and was medically cleared to go to the quarantine unit.

Two other American passengers were flown to Atlanta for "further assessment and care," officials said.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
May 11, 2026, 11:44 AM

What is hantavirus and is there a vaccine?

Here's what you need to know about hantavirus including what it is, how it spreads, how it's treated and if there are any prevention methods:

What is hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illnesses and death, according to the CDC.

How does hantavirus spread?

Hantaviruses may also spread from person to person, but that also is rare and only suspected for one subtype, the Andes virus, from South America, according to the WHO.

Is there a vaccine?

There are currently no approved vaccines anywhere in the world that specifically protect against the Andes virus, but scientists are working on it.

Read more about hantavirus here.

ByYouri Benadjaoud ABCNews logo
1 hour and 4 minutes ago

3 in Kansas taken to hospital for observation after being exposed to hantavirus abroad

Three people in Kansas who have been under monitoring by the state's health department for potential hantavirus infection have been transported to a hospital for observation, a department spokesperson told ABC News.

It is not clear why they were transported and if any of the three have shown signs of symptoms.

Kansas' health department initially announced on Tuesday that these three people -- who were not cruise ship passengers -- were exposed to an infected individual abroad. The department said their exposure was "high risk" and said at the time that they were not showing any signs of illness.

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11:34 AM GMT

American doctor who initially tested positive moved from isolation after negative test

Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, who identified himself as the first American who initially tested positive for hantavirus from samples taken on the cruise ship, has now tested negative in subsequent testing, he told ABC News.

Dr. Stephen Kornfeld
Dr. Stephen Kornfeld

The testing was originally listed as inconclusive per the World Health Organization because of a positive and negative test result returned from a Dutch lab. Health officials had proceeded with caution and labeled him as a positive case.

Kornfeld was moved from the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit to the National Quarantine Unit, alongside his fellow passengers, according to a statement from Nebraska Medicine.

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May 13, 2026, 11:14 AM GMT

Potential hantavirus case in Illinois not related to ship outbreak, health officials say

The Illinois Department of Public Health is investigating a potential hantavirus case in an Illinois resident in Winnebago County, not linked to an outbreak on a cruise ship, the agency said Tuesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting additional testing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting additional testing.

The CDC said its test results could take up to 10 days.

It is believed the individual acquired the virus while cleaning a home where rodent droppings were present, IDPH said.

ByJessica Gorman ABCNews logo
May 13, 2026, 10:47 AM GMT

Minnesota monitoring person 'potentially exposed' to hantavirus, Health Department says

The Minnesota Department of Health said it's monitoring the condition of a person who "may have briefly been exposed overseas" to another person who tested positive for hantavirus after being on board the MV Hondius.

"MDH is in contact with the person who was exposed," the department said in a statement on Tuesday. "They have been very cooperative, and we are monitoring them daily for symptoms. The person does not currently have symptoms. MDH will not release any additional information on the person to protect their privacy."

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