Dozens of passengers ill with fever on flight to New York

[NigelGresley]

Bit worrying! Be interesting to find out what this was, how it spread so quickly, and made so many people ill simultaneously.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-us-canada-45425412

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-us-canada-45425412

How awful and unpleasant for them

It’s the start of a pandemic disaster story!

Food poisoning is surely the likeliest explanation...

Noro?

Coughing and temperature isn’t a food poisoning symptom though?

Seems to be conflicting info coming out about numbers. Reports say passengers who aren't affected are being allowed to continue on their journey.

Isn't this how tv program The Strain started?!
Seriously though, that's worrying!

"some of the passengers had originally come from the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, which was currently experiencing a flu outbreak, and that this was also being considered as a possible cause."

^ that's from the BBC article. Yikes. MERS (Middle Eastern respiratory virus) was a problem a while ago wasn't it, and that evolved in Saudi Arabia, where some of the passengers have come from. Lets hope it's 'just' a less serious flu, and not MERS.

(My user name suddenly feels appropriate..)

Through the air con? Poisoning? Something deliberate

50 why speculate? There's no reason to think it's anything other than a virus surely?

When I was about 8 my parents got ill from a flight. It was a short haul flight so not till they got off it.
I was fine as I hadn't touched the prawns (this was in the days that you always got a meal on a short haul flight). I had to go and stay with my grandparents as my parents were throwing up for about 2 days.
Anyway we had lots of vouchers and flowers come through a few weeks later, turns out that most of the plane had got sick. None seriously though.

I imagine it's a similar scenario.

Wasn't there a passenger recently landed in the UK diagnosed with MERS?

Yup.
www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/emergencies/pages/news/news/2018/9/confirmed-case-of-mers-cov-in-united-kingdom

Let's hope this new story is not something serious.

Hajj Flu.

stealth where have you read it's a virus?

I haven t but surely that's a lot more likely than deliberate poisoning. They suggested theyd all come from an area with a current flu epidemic

Ah... so you are just speculating too

Yes OK you got me. But I'm speculating based on the reported facts (fly epidemic). Torre speculating about something quite extreme that would cause panic if true.

It's quite early for flu to be doing the rounds isn't it? T

his thread has made me check if I can get the flu shot at my health centre, but it doesn't appear to be available yet.

Anyone know when it will be available?

Could be something or nothing

Sorry flu outbreak, not fly epidemic!
We've had a wasp epidemic this summer

Our local Boots has the flu jab in from the middle of next week, not sure about anywhere else. I only know as I have booked my son in before he goes back to university.

It's quite early for flu to be doing the rounds isn't it?

The season wouldn't be over yet in the southern hemisphere. Long distance travel being as common as it is. Quite apart from occasional cases year round.

Thanks re Boots flu shot info!

Hopefully the NYC outbreak will just be either the flu or a pretty normal but unpleasant virus.