American Woman in Quarantine After Hantavirus Exposure

An American woman, Angela Perryman, 47, disclosed on Monday that she is currently confined in a federal quarantine unit in Nebraska after being potentially exposed to hantavirus during a cruise from Argentina.

Perryman showed me the federal quarantine order she received, which mandates her stay at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha until the end of May. She was initially planning to self-isolate at her home in Florida but now finds herself in this unexpected situation.

She mentioned having tested negative for hantavirus once and is not showing any symptoms at the moment. However, she did have a couple of short conversations on the cruise with a passenger who later succumbed to the illness. While she hasn’t attempted to leave the quarantine facility, the staff warned her that law enforcement would be contacted should she try to do so.

The reasoning for her extended stay wasn’t immediately clear. It’s worth noting that federal law gives health officials the power to enforce quarantines to prevent disease spread. Representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Quarantine Unit have not responded to inquiries regarding her case.

The order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that officials believe Perryman could pose a probable infection risk to others if she were to leave the unit for another state. Previous announcements indicated that the 18 American passengers from the same cruise would undergo screening and monitoring at the quarantine unit for several days. Officials did mention that a full 42-day incubation period might not be necessary for all passengers.

In a rather casual but informative press conference last week, Capt. Brendan Jackson from the CDC spoke about how decisions about each passenger’s situation would be personalized.

Perryman, a U.S. citizen, resides in Ecuador but has a home in South Florida. She had initially intended to isolate at an Airbnb in Florida. According to her, the government had indicated it would facilitate her transport to avoid putting others at risk on a commercial flight.

However, this plan changed when she and the other 17 passengers were informed during a video call with federal officials that they could either voluntarily remain at the quarantine unit or be subject to a mandatory order. The quarantine order, authorized by Jay Bhattacharya, the acting CDC director, requires her to stay for 21 days, a period that runs through the end of May. This timeframe coincides with the peak risk for developing symptoms of the virus.

The National Quarantine Unit is designed with specialized air-pressure systems to contain contaminated air, offering amenities like a TV, Wi-Fi, and exercise equipment. Despite these features, Perryman expressed a preference for home quarantine, citing frustration over what she views as an unnecessary restriction. “Home quarantine is an absolutely reasonable approach,” she said, emphasizing her irritation over being in a locked facility when home isolation might have sufficed.

Interestingly, at least seven other Americans were able to leave the cruise ship before reaching the Canary Islands, returning home via commercial flights before the outbreak was detected. Perryman noted that these individuals are being monitored by their respective health departments.

Her quarantine order includes a provision for a medical review in 72 hours, after which she can appeal the decision. Perryman has contacted an attorney and plans to pursue legal action against the order.

Quarantine laws often spark debate and were last in the spotlight during the coronavirus pandemic when local and state governments imposed various stay-at-home requirements to curb the virus’s spread. In early 2020, the federal government imposed a rare two-week quarantine on nearly 200 evacuees from Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus outbreak began, keeping them at a military base in California.

Hantavirus is a rare group of viruses typically carried by rodents, and the World Health Organization has identified the Andes subtype, which can spread among those in close contact. This subtype has been implicated in cases from this particular cruise, resulting in at least three fatalities and additional illnesses among passengers.

The National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha is unique in being federally funded, further highlighting the seriousness of this situation. Two passengers from the ship were originally relocated to a facility in Atlanta but have since been moved to Omaha as well.