Sick passengers on two flights from Europe evaluated at Philadelphia airport
Passengers arriving in Philadelphia today on two American Airlines flights from Paris and Munich were evaluated by medical personnel after some complained of flu-like symptoms, the second such incident in two days after 10 passengers were treated for similar symptoms after landing in New York on an Emirates flight from Dubai.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement that the two flights had arrived “with ill passengers on board”.
Medical personnel from the CDC and local public health and medical workers evaluated the passengers for influenza and other respiratory illnesses, the statement said. “12 passengers from the two flights reported sore throat and cough; none were identified with fever. None of the passengers are severely ill, and they will be released and informed of test results in 24 hours”, the CDC said.
American Airlines said the passengers on the two flights “deplaned normally, were not quarantined on the airplane and the airplane was not quarantined”.
Yesterday’s Emirates flight was quarantined on landing in New York after about 100 passengers and crew reported feeling unwell, the CDC said in a statement. A spokesperson later said three passengers and seven crew were transferred to the hospital for further medical care and evaluation. Nine passengers underwent additional medical screening near the aircraft and were released afterwards.