RFK Jr. Orders Extended Hantavirus Quarantine for Cruise Passenger

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has ordered a Florida woman exposed to hantavirus during a cruise voyage to remain under quarantine despite medical recommendations supporting her release, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal.

Angela Perryman, 47, is among a group of Americans monitored after potential exposure to Andes hantavirus aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius earlier this year. The passengers were placed under observation at the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska after returning to the United States on May 10.

According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) official, the mandatory 42-day monitoring period is scheduled to conclude at midnight on June 21. The remaining passengers at the Nebraska facility are expected to leave on June 22 after completing the recommended observation period.

The Andes hantavirus outbreak prompted health authorities to closely monitor individuals considered at high risk of infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that high-risk contacts be quarantined and monitored for 42 days following exposure to the virus.

Earlier this month, the University of Nebraska Medical Center announced that eight U.S. residents from the cruise ship had returned home after completing three weeks of monitoring. However, 10 passengers remained under observation.

The dispute centers on Perryman’s request to complete the remainder of her quarantine at home in Florida. Reports from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal indicate that some passengers were permitted to quarantine at home if local authorities agreed to provide monitoring through law enforcement or community health workers. Florida reportedly declined to offer such monitoring services.

According to the reports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended allowing Perryman to return home for the final phase of her quarantine. A CDC medical review also reportedly concluded that the likelihood of her developing hantavirus symptoms was decreasing over time.

Despite that assessment, Perryman said she received an order from Kennedy stating that she was still reasonably believed to have been exposed to the disease and therefore could not leave the quarantine facility. The case has drawn attention to the balance between public health measures, quarantine policies, and individual rights during infectious disease monitoring efforts.