Infectious Risks of Air Travel

Abstract

Infectious diseases are still among the leading causes of death worldwide due to their persistence, emergence, and reemergence. As the recent Ebola virus disease and MERS-CoV outbreaks demonstrate, the modern epidemics and large-scale infectious outbreaks emerge and spread quickly. Air transportation is a major vehicle for the rapid spread and dissemination of communicable diseases, and there have been a number of reported outbreaks of serious airborne diseases aboard commercial flights including tuberculosis, severe acute respiratory syndrome, influenza, smallpox, and measles, to name a few. In 2014 alone, over 3.3 billion passengers (a number equivalent to 42% of the world population) and 50 million metric tons of cargo traveled by air from 41,000 airports and 50,000 routes worldwide, and significant growth is anticipated, with passenger numbers expected to reach 5.9 billion by 2030. Given the increasing numbers of travelers, the risk of infectious disease transmission during air travel is a significant concern, and this chapter focuses on the current knowledge about transmission of infectious diseases in the context of both transmissions within the aircraft passenger cabin and commercial aircraft serving as vehicles of worldwide infection spread.

Metagenomic analysis of viruses in toilet waste from long distance flights—A new procedure for global infectious disease surveillance

“…In this study, results from the viral analysis of airplane toilet material was finished several days after landing, too late to isolate infected passengers. However, future development in sequencing techniques might allow for analysis of air or toilet material during flight [57], allowing for screening and quarantine of passengers infected with high-risk viruses at the border [58].…”

Experience Repatriation Of Citizens From Epicentre Using Commercial Flights During Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Since the Government of Malaysia does not mandate stranded citizens in foreign country to have swab test done prior to registration for ight; there is a risk that infected repatriates may be asymptomatic upon entry screening (15). A repeat swab done on day 13 and results made available prior to discharge to home.…”

Health screening strategies for international air travelers during an epidemic or pandemic

“…Air transportation enables travelers to reach far away destinations in a relatively short time. Although international air transportation facilitates economic, cultural and social exchanges between countries, it may introduce an infectious disease from one country to another (Mangili et al, 2015). The spread of infectious diseases by air transportation was evident in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003, and the Ebola virus epidemic from 2014 to 2016 (Wong et al, 2015).…”