Wot would you do?

Question

If you were told by the Centre for Disease Control that the person who sat next to you on the plane had the most drug-resistant form of a potentially fatal disease, knew that he was infected, didn't tell anyone, and traveled against his doctor's and the CDC's recommendations simply because he didn't want to change his plans?

Personally, I would have his bits on a plate regardless of whether or not I became infected.

Rose Merrick, he was infected with TB, and patient information can be legally shared when it presents a danger to other people.

deni, the disease in question is TB, which can be passed in close quarters simply by breathing, under the proper circumstances, although this particular person probably would have had to cough or sneeze.

Also, I should clarify, you wouldn't find out until long after the trip when the CDC contacts you to advise you to be tested for TB.
Regardless, if you were to be infected, it would be well after the fact when you find out.

Alice K, actually it is true that he didn't know that his was the drug resistant sort. He didn't know that until he was in Rome.
Nevertheless, he was perfectly willing to infect others with another form of TB without even waiting to find out wot variety it was that he had.

wheeliebin, yer, you certainly could sue the smeg out of him regardless of whether or not you became infected.
Also, criminal endangerment is a possibility, or even manslaughter if he infects someone and they die from the disease.

RosieC, he is now quarantined in New York, but unfortunately, by the time the CDC was involved, he was already in Rome, where they had no power to do so.
They did try to convince him to get treatment in Rome, but he refused and flew to Prague, then Montreal AFTER learning that he was infected with a drug-resistant strain of TB.

Answer 1

Once, the CDC determined that that particular person is a walking biological warfare, he won't be allowed out of their clutches to infect or contaminate the general public without their knowledge- hopefully. .


He should be immediately quarantined if not even eliminated or neutralized as the word goes. For all you know, he was planted by some pharmaceutical company ; which had previously researched and thus has the perfect antidote for that rare disease.


This makes an ideal plot for a recent movie on terrorism that I just saw.

ADDTL DETAILS:

Thank you very much for the addtl details. Now, i see that this indeed avery interesting and realistic case. TB has been known to be eradicated. But with the recent influx of immigrants from tropical countries such as Vietnam, and Cambodia, it seems that this disease is on the rise again.


However, being a nurse with experience working with patients with TB; cholera, and even leposy. Let me assure you that it takes prolonged exposure to the disease before you can contract it. Or if your immune system is compromised.


There are a lot of nurses with TB nodules.after being exposed to this disease. They do not succumb to the disease and become patients themselves. They get treated with a round of INH and Rifampicin. . Remember this disease can only be ARRESTED .........not cured.


You have to be exposed on more than one occasion; even in a plane. It's only very contagious when you are in direct proximity to inhale when he has hemoptysis. It's also possible for the disease to go into an asymptomatic latent stage; i.e., when it's not highly communicable. Actually, once you're exposed to the disease, this provides you some immunity.


That's why negative chest x-rays are mandatory grounds for immigration. However, CDC is not stringent in enforcing. I know of a lot of people going thru with just a requirement of a follow-up x-ray.if not a round of the necessary treatments.


Whose entrails should be on that plate of yours? The CDC and the politicians!. The same goes for the judge and the lawyers when the criminals are set free ; at the expense of the welfare and safety of the unsuspecting and innocent society.


Don't worry, Interpol will get him. Do you know that the Canadians are more strict than the Americans at the border?. They have a complete dossier of anybody passing thru. They track their travels. Spreading widespread fatal diseases such as Ebola, Aids and Anthrax or even Legionairre's disease via ventilation shafts wpuld be more frightening.on a massive scale.

National laws because of America being a litiginous country is good. However, favorable judgments and collection of such damages remains to be seen. How can you collect when you are dead.? Does death merit the damages.?


Other countries have stricter laws and do enforce them. Look at the security airport system in England. One of the strictest!!!!


Maybe, the ideal solution to this problem is a required clean bill of health for travel.( medical clearance is already required for immigration) as well as no firearms. A doctor at the airport security as well Total Body Scans. How about a fluoroscopy? And to make sure that this strictly enforced.

Welfare of the general public should supersede the patient's right to confidentiality and the "need to know basis" national security stance assumed by CiA or the FBI.

Answer 2

What could you do? Nothing other than having whatever treatment was available and hoping that you hadn't been infected...I suppose if someone died from the disease he could face a manslaughter charge as he was reckless as to whether or not he injured someone.....
That is the peril of travelling on a plane...I did hear that the chances of catching a disease has increased since they banned smoking on planes....something to do with the fact that they don't need such an efficient air conditioning system now and just re-circulate the stale air....

Answer 3

Yeah, I know what you mean. Now they're saying he didn't know he had the drug-resistant type of tuberculosis. Like he thought it was okay to make people deathly ill as long as there was some way to treat them. He should have been locked up.

To Deni: You can get TB by having the infected person breathe in your face. And the air on a plane is recycled, so those people were breathing in his infection with every breath.

Answer 4

It's difficult to say as it hasn't happened to me but I would probably have the same reaction as you. I have worked with people who could quite probably have TB, the homeless, and one in particular did have it, he did tell me, and I had to be tested but, luckily I was clear. TB is increasing in the UK so we wouldn't know if we had been infected by someone who coughed near us in the street, a shop, the cinema etc. Deliberately getting on a plane where the air is re-circulated was a very selfish thing to do.

Answer 5

That is selfish to the extreme! To risk other passengers health, just because he did not wish to change his plans, is tantamount to a criminal act! Cant you sue him for mental suffering and anxiety he put you through? I flaming would! You have a great day.

Answer 6

depends whether or not he was infectious. If he was, I would complain to the stewardess! But how would you know? The 'Centre for Disease control' - a new one to me! and medical practitioners do not, can not give out patients details - Patient Confidentiality. and you might get it just walking down the street - how would you prove you got it from him?

Answer 7

well i am sure that the airlines didn't know about it - at this point information like like this isn't shared with all the agencies that might need it. i guess that they didn't want to get stuck in a different country with the illness - they should have worn a mask though!!!!

Answer 8

Thats just gross. And what can you do once you've been sat next to him? I'd get myself into a drs to get checked out first, then I'd sever all contact with my family and friends cos I wouldnt want them to get it.

And then I'd hunt down the b*a*stard and have him hung drawn and quartered then I'd burn his body so he couldnt pass it on to anyone else.

Answer 9

I would get reprimanded by the flight attendant for using my mobile on board of a plane.

Answer 10

how would is the disease meant to be passed on?? does he cough and infect everyone, do you have to kiss him and its passed on....or just him breathing passes it on??