Travel medicine and infectious disease
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Travel Med Infect Dis · Mar 2010
Guidance from WHO on the prevention and control of TB during air travel.
Although tuberculosis (TB) is not highly transmissible, there is a risk of transmission of infection when close contact occurs between a person with active pulmonary TB and other passengers for prolonged periods during air travel. The World Health Organization first published Tuberculosis and air travel: guidelines for prevention and control in 1998, in response to several incidents involving TB in air travellers, with a second edition in 2006. ⋯ This article describes the process followed in preparing the third edition, the special issues considered and the conclusions reached, with recommendations for travellers, physicians, public health authorities, and airline companies. New material includes: (i) additional guidance on the assessment of infectiousness, and on procedures, roles and responsibilities involved in the prevention of transmission of infection on board and for dealing with incidents; (ii) information on basic provisions of the IHR and measures relevant to incidents involving TB among air travellers; and (iii) a proposed procedure for carrying out contact investigations.
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Travel Med Infect Dis · Mar 2010
The international health regulations (2005), tuberculosis and air travel.
In 2007, the World Health Organization's ("WHO") revised International Health Regulations (2005) ("IHR" or "Regulations") entered into force across the globe. The IHR contain a range of binding and advisory provisions for reporting, health measures, capacity-building and further procedures to address the risks of international disease spread in international travel, transport and trade. ⋯ In light of the great numbers of persons undertaking international travel, the worldwide geographical coverage of the IHR, and the emergence of extremely drug resistant TB ("XDR TB"), these Regulations are an important element in addressing these (and other) serious international public health risks. This article describes the relevant provisions in the IHR, and their applicability in this context.