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Passengers on serveral American Airlines flights might have been exposed to Hepatitis A by a flight attendant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced.
At least one of the exposures took place on a flight between San Francisco and Charlotte on Sept. 21, North Carolina-based Mecklenburg County Public Health Department confirmed. The health department contacted 18 local passengers, all of whom have now received Hepatitis A vaccinations.
Mecklenburg County Public Health Department spokeswoman Rebecca Carter told the Charlotte Observer there is no immediate threat of a widespread outbreak.
“The risk was only to the passengers on the flight. There was no risk to the public.”
Accorting to WCNC Charlotte, the CDC was notified on Oct. 1 about a male flight attendant on the flight who had a confirmed case of Acute Hepatitis A (HAV) infection.
He had severe diarrhea on several of the flights he was on and, for that reason, health officials notified the passengers.
American Airlines has also notified the crew from those flights.
Hepatitis A is transmitted from person-to-person by ingesting fecal matter or contaminated food or water. The disease, which affects the liver, causes flu-like symptoms, including stomach pain, fatigue, nausea and jaundice in adults, according to the CDC.
Vaccination is the best way to protect against Hepatitis A.
American Airlines would not confirm to Travel Off Path that one of its flight attendants had contracted Hepatitis A. The airline said in a statement that it's in close contact with the CDC.
"We are in close contact with the CDC and public health officials and will coordinate with them on any required health and safety related measures."
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