Honolulu screening passengers for flu

January 7, 2009

Screening of passengers for flu called a success

The process aims to prevent the spread of infectious diseases

By Helen Altonn, Dec 24, 2008 (Page 1 of 2)

A voluntary screening process for flulike illnesses among

international arrivals at Honolulu Airport worked so well it may be

done more often next year, a state Health Department official said.

The process was tested recently on 435 arriving Japan Airlines

passengers, said Dr. Park, chief of the Disease Outbreak Control

Division.

The program is aimed at intercepting passengers with possibly

infectious diseases such as bird flu or severe acute respiratory

syndrome (SARS) before they can expose a broader population.

The passengers " did their part to help us out, " Park said. " We were

pleasantly surprised how fast they went through. Each time we do this,

we're learning and tweaking the process and improving upon it. "

Fearing the introduction of infectious diseases into Hawaii, the state

in November 2005 became the first in the nation to set up a passive

airport surveillance program for Hawaii-bound international travelers.

Pilots must notify the airport tower if they have a potentially ill

passenger on board, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention's Quarantine Station is called to evaluate the passenger at

the gate. Those who have fever and respiratory symptoms are asked to

be tested for flu.

In June, the Health Department worked with the CDC, U.S. Customs and

Border Protection, Department of Transportation and Hawaiian Airlines

to start a pilot project. Federal officials hope that efficient

standard procedures can be developed to be used across the country.

The second screening, involving a Japan Airlines flight that arrived

about 6:20 a.m. Dec. 3, took longer to arrange because of efforts to

address non-English-speaking passengers, Park said. " It's one thing to

screen people quickly and efficiently who speak your language. It's

another thing to those who don't speak the language or share your

culture. "

Health officials worked with the state tourism liaison to discuss the

situation with the Japanese Consulate and one of the consuls asked to

observe the screening, she said.

A short informational video was produced, asking the passengers to

participate in a voluntary health screening and explaining a

questionnaire given to them. The form, in Japanese and English, asked

for basic demographic, recent travel and illness information,

including presence of a fever, she said.

The airline was asked to distribute the questionnaires and show the

video to passengers so there would be no surprises, she said. " We told

our airline partners we don't want passengers disgruntled and upset

because upset people don't comply, " Park said.

All partners " were pleasantly surprised how many people did opt in and

without question went through health screening with no concerns, " she

said.

Sixteen makeshift kiosks were set up at screening points with trained

medical staff to take the questionnaires from passengers leaving the

airplane and ask if they had a fever.

Two passengers didn't feel well and were referred to a medical

evaluation area with registered nurses, physicians and CDC quarantine

observers, she said. Neither had fever or met the criteria for an

influenzalike illness, but they were given a fact sheet and advice

about flu and allowed to proceed, she said.

Avian influenza hasn't mutated into human influenza, " but when it does

accidentally move to the human side, it causes severe disease with

high mortality, " Park said.

" It has taken this long to screen a second flight, " she said, " but I'm

extremely confident, and our partners are confident, that should we

suddenly be hit with a pandemic alert level or SARS, we're prepared in

Hawaii. "

A voluntary screening process for flulike illnesses among

international arrivals at Hono- lulu Airport worked so well it may be