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The risk of transmission of Sars during air travel has effectively been stopped, according to a World Health Organisation statement issued on 19 May. There have been no reports of Sars spreading between air passengers since 23 March when one passenger contracted the virus on a flight from Bangkok to Beijing, WHO said.
Globally, WHO has analysed information on 35 flights in which probable symptomatic Sars cases were among the passengers or crew. To date, four of these flights have been associated with possible transmission. In all cases, the original Sars patient was displaying symptoms.
On 27 March, WHO issued recommendations for the screening of air passengers departing from areas with recent local transmission. In some areas, including Hong Kong and Singapore, measures being applied at airports exceed those recommended by WHO. In these areas, prompt detection and isolation of cases, and rigorous tracing and home confinement or quarantine of all contacts have served as the first line of protection against the risk that an infectious person could board an aircraft.
Click to read the full WHO statement
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