US nurse quarantined over ebola fears sues

A nurse quarantined at a New Jersey hospital because she had contact with ebola patients in West Africa is suing the state governor and health chiefs, saying they held her illegally against her will.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and a New York firm filed the federal civil rights lawsuit in Newark for Kaci Hickox.

It names New Jersey governor Chris Christie, former state health commissioner Mary O’Dowd, plus other health department staff.

The lawsuit seeks at least $250,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.

The 34-year-old nurse was working with Doctors Without Borders in Sierra Leone during last year’s Ebola outbreak, which killed thousands of people.

When she returned via Newark Liberty International Airport she was stopped, questioned and sent to stay in a tent outside a hospital despite having no symptoms of the disease,.

“I felt like I was being manipulated. I was literally in the dark,” Ms Hickox said.,