Potential Health Emergency
I’ve read about extensively-drug-resistant tuberculosis before. Now we have a patient who has been quarantined because he flew from North America to Europe and back in violation of a no-fly order and the advice of the CDC.
AP via Houston Chronicle:
ATLANTA — A man with a rare and exceptionally dangerous form of tuberculosis has been placed in quarantine by the U.S. government after possibly exposing passengers and crew on two trans-Atlantic flights earlier this month, health officials said Tuesday.
What is XDR TB?
NPR: CDC Issues Quarantine Over Tuberculosis Case
All Things Considered, May 29, 2007 · The CDC has placed a Georgia man with a rare and exceptionally dangerous form of tuberculosis under quarantine, the first time a quarantine order has been issued in the United States since 1963. Authorities say the man may have exposed passengers and crew aboard two trans-Atlantic flights earlier this month. Robert Siegel talks with CDC Director Julie Gerberding.
Before he flew from the US to Europe, he did not know exactly what kind of TB he had and county health officials advised him not to travel. While he was in Europe, it became clear what type he had.
AP via New York Times:
The government issued the order after a CDC official reached the man by phone in Italy and told him not to take commercial flights, but he flew back to North America anyway, said Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s division of global migration and quarantine.
”He was told in no uncertain terms not to take a flight back,” Cetron said.
The infected man flew from Atlanta to Paris on May 12 aboard Air France Flight 385. He returned to North America on May 24 aboard Czech Air Flight 0104 from Prague to Montreal. The man then drove into the United States.
10 Responses to “Potential Health Emergency”
Maybe I’m not seeing it, but nowhere in the article you linked does it state that this guy willfully violated a no-fly order or anything of the sort. In fact, the article suggests that this guy didn’t even know he was infected.
argh. Tried to cite from the article, but failed miserably. Trying again.
Checked several news sources and nothing indicates he disobeyed any orders:
“Gerberding said the patient had “compelling personal reasons” to travel and did so despite the illness. She stressed that he had not broken any laws.”
VÃa de New Zealand Herald. Gerberding is the director of the CDC. I would suppose that a no-fly order constitutes breaking the law.
VÃa de Wall Street Journal:
“He cooperated with authorities after learning he had an unusually dangerous form of TB. He voluntarily went to a hospital and isn’t facing prosecution, officials said.”
Sounds like the guy was sick, but had no clue that he had an ultra-resistant form of TB. Poor man, he may well not make it, hopefully there’s time for the other passengers however.
Found an article that refers to his willful disobediance of an order not to fly from Europe back home:
Link
I was listening to NPR while I wrote this post. It was clearly stated that this gentleman had violated a no-fly order and had flown against CDC advice.
By the article his flight was not in or connected to the US. Czech Republic to Canada. You must have the authority to order something before someone can violate that order.
See the update in the body of the post.
“He was told in no uncertain terms not to take a flight back”
but it’s the airline that has deep pockets and that’s where junk lawsuits are likely going to be aimed.
It is not clear if the Czech airline was aware of the no-fly order.
I just hope there weren’t any immune suppressed individuals on board the planes with him, as they’d be the ones likely to contract the disease. TB generally isn’t easily transmitted so healthy individuals would have to have had prolonged contact- a long flight might make that a possibility, but not highly probable. But if someone near him had AIDS or another immune disorder, or had recently undergone chemo, it would be a very dangerous situation.