The US government has formally ended its response to the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, with no cases among American passengers but plenty of unanswered questions about the quarantine measures imposed on them.
The response concluded on June 21 when the 42-day monitoring period ended. The Department of Health and Human Services announced the end with a press release on June 24. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. credited federal efforts with preventing “sustained transmission” — despite no Americans having brought the virus into the country in the first place.
What’s drawing scrutiny is the quarantine protocol. The US imposed stricter measures than Chile and Argentina, where the Andes virus is endemic and where remote monitoring with daily symptom checks has proven sufficient. Trump administration officials required repatriated passengers to either stay in a federal quarantine unit in Nebraska under strict isolation or submit to twice-daily in-person fever and symptom checks at home.
One case stands out. Angela Perryman, a passenger who remained in Nebraska, wanted to go home to Florida. Florida health officials proposed remote monitoring with daily checks — consistent with WHO guidelines and hantavirus expert recommendations. CDC staff expert Michael Bell reviewed the case and sided with Florida, recommending the federal quarantine order be rescinded. Four days later, Kennedy signed an order extending Perryman’s quarantine anyway. No explanation was given.
At a press briefing, reporters focused almost entirely on Perryman’s case. CDC acting director Brendan Jackson declined to answer questions, calling it a “complex response.” Meanwhile, WHO reports the global outbreak stands at 13 cases with three deaths, and considers the outbreak over if no new cases emerge by July 2.
