Tuberculosis and Air Travel: Guidelines for Prevention and Control, Second Edition

The revised guidelines address the concerns about transmission of TB
during air travel and provide the following: (i) information on transmission
of TB on aircraft; (ii) a summary of the practices adopted for the
management of patients with infectious TB associated with air travel,
and of commonly encountered diffi culties; (iii) suggestions on practical
ways to reduce the risk of exposure to M. tuberculosis on board commercial
aircraft, and (iv) guidance on procedures to follow and responsibilities
when infectious TB is diagnosed in a patient who has a history
of recent air travel, including contact tracing, notifying and screening for
possible interventions. It also introduces the revised International Health
Regulations, adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2005, which
will enter into force in June 2007, establishing basic rules for international
coordination in the detection, investigation, and response to public health
risks including the area of communication and information sharing.
The guidelines are applicable to all domestic and international airlines worldwide.