American Woman Quarantined After Possible Hantavirus Exposure
An American woman is currently in quarantine in Omaha, Nebraska, after potentially being exposed to hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship. Angela Perryman, 47, returned from the cruise last week and initially expected a short stay at the National Quarantine Unit. However, she received a federal order this week requiring her to remain quarantined for at least two more weeks.
Perryman, who lives in Ecuador but also has a home in South Florida, described her experience, saying, “They won’t let us isolate at home. We’re being kept in a secured facility and threatened if we try to leave.” The quarantine will last until May 31, totaling 21 days since her arrival. Officials informed her that leaving could involve law enforcement intervention.
Despite her negative test result for hantavirus and lack of symptoms, she did speak briefly with a passenger who later died from the disease. The federal order states that her departure could pose a risk to others, making her a possible source of infection.
Perryman plans to appeal the quarantine order and is considering taking legal action. The quarantine facility comprises 20 single-occupancy rooms, equipped with negative air pressure systems, en suite bathrooms, exercise equipment, and Wi-Fi access.
The order was issued under federal public health authority and approved by the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since the outbreak, 18 American passengers from the Hondius have been monitored at the quarantine unit, while seven who left the ship before the outbreak are being observed by local health departments.
Health experts highlight the need for caution. The incubation period for hantavirus can be long, lasting up to six weeks, and symptoms can worsen rapidly. This outbreak has claimed at least three lives, with more passengers reported as sick.
Historically, large-scale quarantine orders were enacted in January 2020 when nearly 200 Americans were evacuated from Wuhan, China, during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Experts emphasize that while hantavirus doesn’t spread easily like COVID-19, public health officials are taking serious precautions due to the unique risks associated with the Andean strain, which has rare person-to-person transmission.
