# What is the status for quarantine laws, criminal and civil, being disobeyed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418 "2014-10-25T03:10:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/21 "2014-10-26T12:32:40Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > If no one volunteers to go work over in West Africa (because of mandatory quarantine on top of what they already sacrifice) then the epidemic will spread unchecked in West Africa resulting in even more cases making it to the US. Yes, I think already the American panic will have a negative effect. > [@Broomstick](#): > > Due to having a life of my own I have not researched this in detail, but from reporting I gather that Kaci Hickox was detained at the airport, transported in isolation gear, stuck in the “unheated tent” outside the hospital for hours on end in paper scrubs, and then put into an isolation room such as used for _active_ Ebola infections where she is expected to stay for the next 21 days. If [this article](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-in-the-u-s-nurse-kaci-hickox-quarantined-in-n-j-criticizes-way-she-has-been-treated/) is correct, it seems to me that the panic is leading them to even american citizens in the rude and aggressive fashion they treat incoming foreign visitors. > [@](#): > > Seriously, what’s next? Burning such a person’s every material possession to exorcise [del]the demons[/del] Ebola? It was not so long here on this very board many posters mocked the uneducated poor Liberians for not being able to follow medical advice. Now we see another side. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/22 "2014-10-26T16:48:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Governor Christie has described her as obviously very ill, which is stupid of him because he’s not a medical doctor and certainly hasn’t met her in person. I am _certain_ Chris Christie has seen a doctor on TV, or at least an actor portraying a doctor. Why does he need to be a medical doctor himself? He’s obviously qualified because he’s _seen_ doctors before! ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/23 "2014-10-26T19:20:16Z")
Posted with permission but with no comment. > [@](#): > > Veterinarian’s Letter On Ebola > > If I wish to import a horse into the United States from Liberia or any African country other than Morocco, the horse needs to undergo a 60 day quarantine period at a USDA approved quarantine facility prior to mingling with the general population of horses in this country. Africa has a disease called African Horse Sickness that does not exist in the US; this is the way we have kept it out of this country. African Horse Sickness does not cause disease in people, only horses; our government has determined that it would be devastating to the US horse industry if it were to come here. > > The United States (and virtually all other countries) require a myriad of tests and often quarantine prior to bringing in a foreign animal. > > I can’t legally cross state lines in the United States with a horse or cow without a health certificate signed by a USDA accredited veterinarian stating that the animal has been inspected and found free of infectious disease. In most cases blood tests are also required. In fact I can’t legally cross the Snake River and ride my horse in Idaho without a health certificate and a negative blood test for Equine Infectious Anemia. > > I’m not complaining; the United States of America, the States of Idaho and Washington as well as the other 48 states take the health of our livestock very seriously, and we have a very good record at keeping foreign animal diseases out of our country. I am happy to do my part to maintain biosecurity in our animal population. > > If I am a resident of Liberia incubating Ebola, to enter the United States all I need to do is present a valid visa, and lie when asked if I have been exposed to Ebola. Within hours (no quarantine required) I can be walking the streets of any city in the United States. > > I feel very fortunate to live in a country that values our animals so highly. > > David A., DVM ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/24 "2014-10-26T20:15:57Z")
Animals are not people, are you seriously saying you want medical workers who volunteer in West Africa to be subject to the same quarantine as animals even if they used proper protective gear and don’t believe they are infected? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/25 "2014-10-26T23:48:37Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > If [this article](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-in-the-u-s-nurse-kaci-hickox-quarantined-in-n-j-criticizes-way-she-has-been-treated/) is correct, it seems to me that the panic is leading them to even american citizens in the rude and aggressive fashion they treat incoming foreign visitors. Speaking as someone born and raised in the US and looking visually like the majority, and having crossed the US international border dozens of times, US customs and government have _always_ been rude and aggressive even to US citizens. Seriously, I’ve always found entry into the US to be much more of a pain than entry into other nations. It’s just gotten steadily worse over the recent decade. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/26 "2014-10-27T02:08:32Z")
According to an MSN article Hickox has tested negative and they’re still holding her, so she’s hired a civil rights lawyer. And from what I’ve seen on other boards the right-wing hate machine is already gearing up against her. Jesus, why do we always have to fuck up everything is this country and then vilify the victims of the fuck up? [http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nurse-under-ebola-quarantine-hires-civil-rights-lawyer/ar-BBblNbH?ocid=mailsignout](http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nurse-under-ebola-quarantine-hires-civil-rights-lawyer/ar-BBblNbH?ocid=mailsignout) > [@](#): > > Kaci Hickox, the nurse currently being held in quarantine at Newark University Hospital despite testing negative for Ebola, has hired a prominent civil rights attorney to help get her out of isolation. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/27 "2014-10-30T03:36:45Z")
[CDC quarantine and isolation web site.](http://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/28 "2014-10-30T09:28:07Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > [CDC quarantine and isolation web site.](http://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/index.html) Interesting item I noticed in there regarding testing of non-human primates. There is a charge of US$540 to cover the cost of filovirus (Ebola or Marburg) testing any samples from non-human primates that die of a non-trauma cause during the mandatory 31 day quarantine period. The test is an ELISA antibody capture test. That gives a bit of an idea of how costly such tests are. The fee scheme has been in place since February 2013, so before this Ebola outbreak so it is no knee-jerk reaction. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/29 "2014-10-30T13:22:54Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > This is a hijack. Not going to go there. hardly a hijack. It goes to the heart of the OP. The doctor didn’t do anything to the bowling alley. A fearful public. He had no reason to know that his presence would cause such an unreasonable and out-of-proportion reaction. The question of whether there are penalties for violating a quarantine order is relevant and has been answered. The question of whether a quarantine is relevant to this doctor has not been answered. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/30 "2014-10-31T01:35:26Z")
I think that the quoted article from **GusNSpot** has the right idea. All people coming into the United States from any country which have any diseases could be quarantined for some period of time (to be determined by the length of time in which any disease can become contagious or each individual state governor). Bob ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/31 "2014-10-31T02:15:54Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Posted with permission but with no comment. Look at the last paragraph. Do you know how many Liberians have a valid visa to the US? Almost none. The US is very, very restrictive with visas to citizens of very poor countries. You are probably more likely to win the lottery. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/32 "2014-10-31T05:43:45Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > What’s the law about AIDS? It it a criminal offence to deliberately or otherwise infect another person? I don’t have a cite at the moment, but I believe people have been prosecuted for deliberately infecting others with HIV. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/33 "2014-10-31T11:37:11Z")
> [@urban1a](#): > > I think that the quoted article from **GusNSpot** has the right idea. All people coming into the United States from any country which have any diseases could be quarantined for some period of time (to be determined by the length of time in which any disease can become contagious or each individual state governor). A key difference between animals and humans is that you can talk to a human, ask about where he/she came from, possible contacts, and evaluate the response for possible falsehood. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > I don’t have a cite at the moment, but I believe people have been prosecuted for deliberately infecting others with HIV. Yes. A quick google shows that currently there is a [case in Maryland](http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/27053809/parents-man-accused-of-infecting-women-with-hiv-is-war-veteran-recovering-alcoholic) and [Texas](http://www.click2houston.com/news/search-for-more-victims-of-hivinfected-man-charged-with-raping-toddler-girl/29316842). Maybe more, but those are the first two that came up. Some question on whether the infecting was actually _deliberate_ or a matter of just not giving a damn. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/34 "2014-10-31T15:02:46Z")
Kaci Hickox, the bicycling Ebola caseworker, has been sued by the state of Maine for for “violating” her quarantine–which was “voluntary,” so I’m not sure how she violated it. The suit is to institute some kind of mandatory nature–which troubles me, as that’s what legislatures are for. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/35 "2014-10-31T15:07:10Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > A key difference between animals and humans is that you can talk to a human, ask about where he/she came from, possible contacts, and evaluate the response for possible falsehood. > Yes. A quick google shows that currently there is a [case in Maryland](http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/27053809/parents-man-accused-of-infecting-women-with-hiv-is-war-veteran-recovering-alcoholic) and [Texas](http://www.click2houston.com/news/search-for-more-victims-of-hivinfected-man-charged-with-raping-toddler-girl/29316842). Maybe more, but those are the first two that came up. Some question on whether the infecting was actually _deliberate_ or a matter of just not giving a damn. In his magnificent book “The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression,” Andrew Solomon writes about attempting suicide by seeking anonymous homosexual unprotected sex (this was the 1980s), but then stopped when he realized he only wanted to get AIDS, not transmit it unknowingly as well. ---
**Author:** ![Fallen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Fallen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fallen)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/36 "2014-10-31T15:08:20Z")
“What is the status for quarantine laws, criminal and civil, being disobeyed?” Before I try to answer, I need you to explain what the frack you mean by “what is the status for”. 🙂 By the way, this has nothing to do with anyone wilfully/deliberately trying to infect someone with a deadly illness (e.g., AIDS). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/37 "2014-10-31T15:12:40Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Posted with permission but with no comment. > > > [@](#): > > > > Veterinarian’s Letter On Ebola > > > > If I wish to import a horse into the United States from Liberia or any African country other than Morocco, the horse needs to undergo a 60 day quarantine period at a USDA approved quarantine facility prior to mingling with the general population of horses in this country. Africa has a disease called African Horse Sickness that does not exist in the US; this is the way we have kept it out of this country. African Horse Sickness does not cause disease in people, only horses; our government has determined that it would be devastating to the US horse industry if it were to come here. > > > > The United States (and virtually all other countries) require a myriad of tests and often quarantine prior to bringing in a foreign animal. > > > > I can’t legally cross state lines in the United States with a horse or cow without a health certificate signed by a USDA accredited veterinarian stating that the animal has been inspected and found free of infectious disease. In most cases blood tests are also required. In fact I can’t legally cross the Snake River and ride my horse in Idaho without a health certificate and a negative blood test for Equine Infectious Anemia. > > > > I’m not complaining; the United States of America, the States of Idaho and Washington as well as the other 48 states take the health of our livestock very seriously, and we have a very good record at keeping foreign animal diseases out of our country. I am happy to do my part to maintain biosecurity in our animal population. > > > > If I am a resident of Liberia incubating Ebola, to enter the United States all I need to do is present a valid visa, and lie when asked if I have been exposed to Ebola. Within hours (no quarantine required) I can be walking the streets of any city in the United States. > > > > I feel very fortunate to live in a country that values our animals so highly. > > David A., DVM What is his point? That we should impose mandatory quarantines on all incoming travelers? If so, he’s a moron. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/38 "2014-10-31T22:59:39Z")
[Judge Rejects quarantine order for nurse](http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/judge-rejects-quarantine-order-for-nurse/article/2555549) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/39 "2014-10-31T23:32:09Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Posted with permission but with no comment. Of course “just presenting a valid visa” is the good veterinarian handwaving away the fact that obtaining such visa is a byzantine procedure that can take multiple years, even for people who have been singled out for it and have multiple reasons to be fast-tracked through the system (like 'terps in Afghanistan). I expect the number of visas that have been issued to Liberian nationals since the Ebola outbreak approaches negative one - in effect a blanket quarantine. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418/40 "2014-11-01T01:02:44Z")
[http://www.kgw.com/story/news/health/2014/10/31/person-being-monitored-for-ebola-in-oregon-hospitalized/18265269/](http://www.kgw.com/story/news/health/2014/10/31/person-being-monitored-for-ebola-in-oregon-hospitalized/18265269/) > [@](#): > > “The patient does have an acute illness of some kind,” said Dr. Paul Lewis, Tri-County Health Officer. “Ebola is on a list of possibilities.” > > People who were recently in close contact with the patient were under a voluntary quarantine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-status-for-quarantine-laws-criminal-and-civil-being-disobeyed/702418.md?page=3)