DOT Manual Readies Aviation Sector For Infectious Passengers

Dallas, TX - A new DOT manual will help airlines, airports, and local governments prevent emerging diseases from arriving in the United States. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters said the manual will help officials recognize and control pandemic outbreaks before they have a widespread impact on public health. "The best way to protect the public is to be prepared for the worst," she said. "This manual will help airports, airlines, and local officials take steps now to get prepared, save lives, and keep our transportation network running."

The 144-page manual explains the roles of the pilot-in-command, airline operations center, the airport operator, state and local health and emergency management departments, law enforcement agencies, health care facilities, support organizations, and federal government agencies when a flight arrives with sick passengers on board. It also describes the planning needed to address an incident while the plane is in flight and upon arrival at the airport and how passengers and crew who may have been exposed should be treated.

"The National Aviation Resource Manual for Quarantinable Diseases" is the first comprehensive guide of its type for the aviation community; it was prepared by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and published by DOT with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The manual is available online at http://isddc.dot.gov/OLPFiles/OST/013334.pdf. Printed versions of the report can be ordered free from: DOT Warehouse, 3341 75th Ave., Landover, MD 20785-1511.

SOURCE: OHS