Two Airplane Health Scares Last Week Were Linked to People Returning From the Hajj in Mecca

A pair of airline health scares last week were related to the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, officials say. Eleven people were treated at a New York City hospital after reports of sick passengers and crew on an Emirates flight from Dubai on Wednesday. The next day, a total of 12 passengers on two flights into Philadelphia International Airport showed flu-like symptoms. “Overall, the common thread is influenza A cases in returning Hajj pilgrims,” Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) spokesman Benjamin Haynes told TIME. The hajj, an annual pilgrimage for practicing Muslims, this year reportedly drew more than 2 million people to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. As with any event that involves large crowds in confined spaces, outbreaks of communicable diseases such as the flu are common at the hajj — with this year as no exception. Haynes says three passengers from the New York incident and one from Philadelphia have tested positive for the flu “and/or other common respiratory illnesses.” A representative from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement provided to TIME that medical review in Philadelphia was undertaken out of “an abundance of caution following Wednesday’s illness of crew and passengers aboard Emirates flight 203 that landed at JFK International Airport.” Haynes says health events involving air travel are relatively common, and the CDC has “preparedness plans” in place for these incidents. Travelers should...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime onetime Travel Source Type: news