An American passenger linked to the MV Hondius outbreak has been ordered to stay in a federal quarantine facility in Omaha after a possible exposure to hantavirus. Officials say the hold could last three weeks, and the woman says she plans to challenge the order. The case has highlighted tight public health powers, the unusual risks tied to the Andes strain, and questions about how long authorities can legally restrict movement.
The woman, Angela Perryman, 47, arrived at the National Quarantine Unit expecting a short stay but was served a federal order extending her confinement. The directive requires her to remain at the facility until May 31, which officials say would total 21 days from her arrival. She says the staff warned that any attempt to leave might draw law enforcement involvement.
“They won’t let us isolate at home,” Perryman said, and she added, “We’re being kept in a secured facility and threatened if we try to leave.” Perryman lives in Ecuador and also maintains a residence in South Florida. She reports a negative hantavirus test and no symptoms but acknowledges briefly speaking with a passenger who later died.
The federal order shared with media explains authorities view her travel as something that could “constitute a probable source of infection to other people” if she leaves the unit. Perryman was told she would receive a medical review within 72 hours and can appeal the quarantine decision. She told reporters she plans to pursue legal action to challenge the restriction.
The quarantine site in Omaha is described as a 20-room facility with single-occupancy units outfitted with negative air pressure and private bathrooms. Residents have access to exercise equipment and Wi-Fi, according to the health center that runs the site. Officials say the setup is meant to limit any potential spread while people are monitored closely.
Federal public health authority backed the quarantine order, which a spokesperson said was approved at high levels of disease control leadership. The CDC’s acting head at the time signed off on the use of quarantine powers in this incident. Media requests for additional federal comment were noted but produced no immediate public statement.
So far, 18 American passengers from the MV Hondius have been monitored at the quarantine unit since the situation surfaced. Seven other U.S. travelers who had already returned home before the outbreak was identified are being followed by state and local health departments. Authorities emphasize monitoring because hantavirus incubation can be unusually long compared with some other infections.
“The reason they’re watching these passengers so carefully is that the incubation period can be very long — up to six weeks — and when symptoms hit, patients can deteriorate very rapidly,” Dr. Marc Siegel said on a recent broadcast. He added, “This is not something that spreads easily like COVID, but because the Andes strain has rare person-to-person transmission, public health officials are being extremely cautious.” Those comments underscore why officials are treating contacts differently than they might with other rodent-borne viruses.
At least three people connected to the ship’s outbreak have died, and additional passengers have fallen ill, according to international health authorities. The Andes strain’s potential for rare human-to-human spread has pushed public health teams to act quickly. That risk profile is the core reason federal quarantine powers were invoked in this case.
The last notable large-scale quarantine of Americans by federal order occurred in early 2020, when evacuees from Wuhan were isolated for two weeks at a military facility. That precedent is being cited as context for the current use of quarantine authority. Experts stress that involuntary confinement is usually a last resort, a point echoed by public health leaders who study outbreak response.
“Typically, we don’t hold people against their will unless there is no alternative,” Jennifer Nuzzo said in comments reported by major outlets. Legal and ethical questions around forcibly restricting movement are likely to play out if Perryman moves forward with a challenge. Meanwhile, public health officials continue monitoring exposed travelers and weighing the risks tied to a pathogen that behaves differently from more common respiratory viruses.
