BREAKING CNN: Korean plane lands in Newark Intl. passengers have odd flu-like symptoms!

[originalpckelly]

:scared:

This may be the unfortunate start of a larger bird flu pandemic. It's absolutely frightening, and this is the exact type of bad news we've been anticipating if there would be a pandemic.

Will post updates as they come in.

***UPDATE 1***

Plane has 85 passengers on-board, it is believed to be of Korean origin, which is a cause for concern.

***UPDATE 2***

Plane is reported to be of Hong Kong origin by a local New Jersey publication. Only a small number of passengers had the symptoms, but the entire plane is being held until a doctor from the CDC arrives to clear them.

[itsrobert]

1. There's not going to be a Pandemic

n/t

[OKIsItJustMe]

17. There will be a pandemic

There may not be an H5N1 pandemic.

If there is, this probably will not start it. However, pandemics are real threats, and not something to be dismissed out-of-hand.

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/whatis.html
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/historicaloverview.html

[Iwasthere]

2. Be afraid. Be very afraid!!

BS !

[ecstatic]

3. time to order masks. I saw someone wearing one the other day

Wonder if he knew something the rest of us didn't... .:tinfoilhat:

[Clark2008]

4. I did, too, but, then again, I was at the doctor's office.

:silly:

[Iwasthere]

6. Do you have YOUR duct tape?

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. What is 'odd' about the symptoms?

And what says it's not normal flu?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

13. Or stomach flu type symptoms?

Which could well be induced by the food on the plane.

[truth2power]

30. They were serving FOOD on the plane??

:rofl:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

46. Poisoned peanuts?

Contaminated water? No, not real food.

[northzax]

58. dog food, I think

most likely.

[spinbaby]

7. Aaaaaahhhh....

Let's all run around in circles screaming!

[Iwasthere]

10. LOL!

[hatrack]

22. I, for one, intend to break out in assholes and shit myself to death

So THERE!

[Malikshah]

39. Damn you all to blood sucking hell....need new keyboard.

And I'm stealing that one. :)

Can't stop laughing.

[hatrack]

52. When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!

:toast:

[Faux pas]

65. Hey wait, that's on my family's coat of arms! n/t

[Malikshah]

24. A la Chicken Run!!!

Now where's that "Panic Button"????

[RL3AO]

8. I havent heard that it was a Korean plane.

And its a better chance it was the food or maybe some CO2 got in the cabin. No need to rush to Bird Flu.

[Kurovski]

Or a reaction to someones god-awful cheap cologne.

Do they sell axe body spray in Korea?

[Squatch]

9. Probably just the Kimchi

[youngdem]

15. I second THAT !!

Kimchi is a WMD !

[Lex]

11. Whatever we do, make sure we PANIC!

nt

[Little Wing]

12. Quarantine!

[Blue-Jay]

14. Everybody PANIC!

Edited to add:

[IChing]

16. I just ducktaped my duck to be sure

I'm not taking any chances.

[Lex]

20. .

[trotsky]

47. Should we CALL CONGRESS RIGHT FUCKING NOW?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[karlrschneider]

18. OMG! It's the BOO-bonic plague!!11!1!1!!

eeeeeeeeeeeeeek

[Malikshah]

29. I'd say "assume the crash position" from Airplane! replete with

uh, shall we say, certain shots, but this is a family site....

Wouldn't you know it, today's the day I stopped sniffing glue...

[Javaman]

32. dang glad it's that boooo-bonic stuff, that bionic stuff is killer...

people jumping all over that place with that hidious sound.

[TZ]

19. bird flu yet to spread person to person really

its still pretty much direct contact with infected birds. And Korea is not having the problems with birdflu that Indonesia is. At this point its more likely cases will come from live infected domestic birds (ie turkeys or chickens) than from off a plane.

[OKIsItJustMe]

40. Not well at least

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/facts.htm

...

While there has been some human-to-human spread of H5N1, it has been limited, inefficient and unsustained. For example, in 2004 in Thailand, probable human-to-human spread in a family resulting from prolonged and very close contact between an ill child and her mother was reported. Most recently, in June 2006, WHO reported evidence of human-to-human spread in Indonesia. In this situation, 8 people in one family were infected. The first family member is thought to have become ill through contact with infected poultry. This person then infected six family members. One of those six people (a child) then infected another family member (his father). No further spread outside of the exposed family was documented or suspected.

...

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/avian_influenza/en/index.html#humans

...

All evidence to date indicates that close contact with dead or sick birds is the principal source of human infection with the H5N1 virus. Especially risky behaviours identified include the slaughtering, defeathering, butchering and preparation for consumption of infected birds. In a few cases, exposure to chicken faeces when children played in an area frequented by free-ranging poultry is thought to have been the source of infection. Swimming in water bodies where the carcasses of dead infected birds have been discarded or which may have been contaminated by faeces from infected ducks or other birds might be another source of exposure. In some cases, investigations have been unable to identify a plausible exposure source, suggesting that some as yet unknown environmental factor, involving contamination with the virus, may be implicated in a small number of cases. Some explanations that have been put forward include a possible role of peri-domestic birds, such as pigeons, or the use of untreated bird faeces as fertilizer. At present, H5N1 avian influenza remains largely a disease of birds. The species barrier is significant: the virus does not easily cross from birds to infect humans. Despite the infection of tens of millions of poultry over large geographical areas since mid-2003, fewer than 200 human cases have been laboratory confirmed. For unknown reasons, most cases have occurred in rural and periurban households where small flocks of poultry are kept. Again for unknown reasons, very few cases have been detected in presumed high-risk groups, such as commercial poultry workers, workers at live poultry markets, cullers, veterinarians, and health staff caring for patients without adequate protective equipment. Also lacking is an explanation for the puzzling concentration of cases in previously healthy children and young adults. Research is urgently needed to better define the exposure circumstances, behaviours, and possible genetic or immunological factors that might enhance the likelihood of human infection.

...

[Fresh_Start]

21. Am I at risk, I haven't eaten any Koreans or

plucked any Koreans or licked any Korean airplane seats or anything like that.....

[Iwasthere]

27. EWWW

[global1]

23. Tainted Dog......nt

[Roland99]

35. Youcho!

:spray:

[orleans]

25. here is the entire piece from 12 minutes ago

"Hong Kong plane reported sitting on Newark tarmac
Posted by The Star-Ledger March 26, 2007 3:58PM
Categories: News
A passenger aboard Continental Flight 98 from Hong Kong has contacted The Star-Ledger to report that passengers have landed at Newark Liberty International Airport after a 14-hour flight but are not being permitted to leave the plane.

The caller, who declined to give his name, said the plane, a full flight, landed at around 2:10 p.m. today. Shortly thereafter an announcement was made on the public address system, saying that because some passengers were sick, no one could leave until "a doctor or someone from the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control)" arrived.


A number of passengers have flu-like symptoms, according to an official familiar with the incident.

Nathan Rudy, a state Health Department spokesman, said the department had been notified about the situation. He would not release further details, saying the Health Department was still investigating the report. "

http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates/2007/03/hong_kong_plane_reported_sitti.html

[uppityperson]

31. I always feel crappy after a 14 hour flight.

Today my nose is runny. I wonder if I should wrap myself in plastic and breath through a handkerchief?

[MountainLaurel]

49. No kidding

I usually end up with a sinus infection after any flight, let alone one that long. (Hence, why much of my honeymoon was spent drugged up.)

[Javaman]

33. I predict food poisoning. if anyone has had a bad case of it...

it's like at first a bad case of the flu, but what follows is enought to wish you were dead. LOL

[Individualist]

26. It's gonna kill us all, we're gonna dieeeeeee!

[bluedog]

28. did they eat "cat food" for lunch?

sorry.....just had to say that!

[TZ]

34. bad pun...I have a worse one....

did you see that the dog/cat food problems -Acute Renal Failure is referred to as ARF? I wanted to know if we could find an an acronym for the sick dogs that fit MEOW...very bad I know but we need to be silly with all this stuff or go crazy...:silly: :crazy:

[Iwasthere]

36. Maybe cat...

A friend once, so thoughtfully, brought me back a beautiful coat make entirely out of cat furs.

[durtee librul]

37. I don't know what you are all worried about

Homeland Security hasn't raised the terra terra level and they haven't recommended we all run out and get plastic, duct tape and masks, so until they do, I am going to trust the decider to do what's right for me. After all, he is the preznit and if anything was serious, he'd be the FIRST to tell us (or move to Paraguay)

:sarcasm:

[Javaman]

38. Terror!! Terror!! Terror!! Terror!! Terror!! Terror!!

(runs around flailing arms in the air)

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

I have duct taped my ass!!!! and I can't get it off!!!

What? some people were sick on a plane? oh big deal.

[bluedog]

41. we have these "flu" symptoms on Cruise ships

quite alot coming from Florida ports...its usually on the local news........just plain Ol food poisoning.......

[NNN0LHI]

42. They all went on some Asian boat trip together before they boarded

Sounds like Montezumas Revenge Asian Style to me.

Don

[karlrschneider]

50. They need to be searched for concealed crocodiles.

...

[NNN0LHI]

51. Strapped to their bodies? n/t

[karlrschneider]

60. Yeah, or shoved into their

umbrellas. :evilgrin:

[LSK]

43. was spinach or taco bell served on the plane?

Who wants to bet this is simple food poisoning or spoiled food?

[xultar]

44. That's a dumb question...airlines don't serve food...the fuckers. They'll let you STARVE first.

I was just kidding about the dumb question part.

[TZ]

61. not true about airplanes starving you..

I was very generously given 2 itty bitty bags of pretzels on my three different plane 12 hour journey from Aruba to Baltimore (with a 30 minute layover in San Juan and 10 MINUTES in Miami international)which should have been 5 hours tops. Thanks again American, you jackasses.

[uppityperson]

64. Try SAS. They give good food, lots of free drinks, etc.

Of course they charge a lot, but most comfortable ride there is.

[xultar]

68. You're right. MY BAD!!! Buhwawawawawa!!!!!

[TheCowsCameHome]

45. The sky is falling. Oh wait - planes fly above the sky.

Did they serve cat food for lunch

[Individualist]

48. They probably ate oysters

"Australia banned imports of oysters from the Republic of Korea in October 2004 due to concerns over Norovirus outbreaks associated with contaminated Korean oysters."


www.growfish.com.au/content.asp?contentid=6913

[roamer65]

53. Did you have the fish, too?

"Excuse me stewardess, I speak Jive." Sorry I just could resist the humor.

[dogday]

54. We have some good news and some bad news

You are in America, and now for the good news.....

[valerief]

55. In the movie Airplane, it was just bad fish, I think. Maybe the food was bad.

Maybe they got bad wheat or bad spinach.

[BluePatriot]

56. I'll wait-and-see

It's probably food poisoning or something but I am glad local health officials are not brushing it off and are treating it seriously.

[valerief]

57. UH-OH. Is this Bush's Ace in the Hole? Martial law due to flu? nt

[uppityperson]

59. Passengers DePlaned! (deplane! deplane!)

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&id=5152451
Passengers have been allowed to get off a plane that landed Monday afternoon at Newark Liberty International Airport from Hong Kong after some passengers reported feeling ill.
(clip)

Continental airlines released the following statement:

Flight 98 departed Hong Kong at 11 a.m. today with 272 passengers on board. During the flight, the cabin crew noticed that several passengers appeared ill. Notification was made to health authorities in the U.S. The aircraft landed at Newark Liberty on time at approximately 2 p.m. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a representative to meet the passengers before their disembarkation into Customs & Border Protection. At this time we do not have a medical assessment from CDC. It is believed that the ill passengers are part of a group of more than 80 tourists who sailed together on a river cruise in Asia. The final destination of the group, after transiting Newark, is Montreal, Canada. We will pass along additional pertinent information as it becomes available.

[Gloria]

63. Maybe it was some crappy cruise or plane food????

[greiner3]

62. At times like this I almost wish I believed in ghod

Because for H5N1 to effectively spread to humans it needs to MUTATE. For that to happen, it must become an entity (Newest from Bio-land is that a virus IS alive and it is designated as an obligate parasite) (Reminds me of Repubs!) previously not known anywhere on Earth. This can't happen in a fundy universe so that makes all fundies immune from this and just about any new virus or bacterial attack. If only I could bring myself around to believing that there is somewhere up in the sky some white bearded, old, geezer surrounded by winged babies I too would be safe. But I have self respect and after all, I gave up myths and superstitions when I was still a child.

[Tom Joad]

66. Never eat pet food on a Korean airline

[Tom Joad]

67. Photo from inside cockpit of airplane!

[uppityperson]

69. CDC says symptoms consistent w/seasonal flu NOT avian.

Bunch of articles online. Here are 2 with clips from each.

http://www.amny.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--ailingairlinepass0326mar26,0,2291748.story?coll=am-entertainment-links
Emergency services personnel who were sent to the plane to interview the passengers about their symptoms passed on the information to a CDC Global Migration and Quarantine representative at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Hunter said.

"It was determined the symptoms were consistent with possible seasonal influenza and there was no reason to believe it was more serious," said CDC spokesman Glen Nowak.

Nowak said the seven passengers who boarded the plane already sick had visited a hospital outpatient center and were diagnosed with the flu, but it wasn't clear whether that visit took place in Hong Kong or the U.S.

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_21271356.shtml
NBC News in New York reported that while there were a few passengers taken to a local area hospital, federal health officials determined there was no evidence of bird flu or any other exotic illness like SARS.

The CDC sent a representative to meet the passengers before they were allowed to leave the flight as a precautionary measure. The Passengers disembarked about 4 p.m. after officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allowed them off, said Marc La Vorgna, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a representative to meet the passengers before their disembarkation into Customs & Border Protection," read a statement from Continental.

[muriel_volestrangler]

70. Thanks for the update.

A shame the OP never saw fit to return to the thread, to dispell the panicky rumours he started. :shrug: