BANGOR, Maine — The boy who was removed from a Delta Air Lines flight that was diverted to Bangor International Airport on Friday remained at Eastern Maine Medical Center on Monday.
“It’s my understanding that he’s doing better,” state epidemiologist Dr. Stephen Sears said. While he was unable to discuss specifics, Sears said that although some test results were still pending, there did not appear to be a reason to follow up with the other passengers who were on the airplane with the child.
Sears said the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Infectious Disease was notified Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that a child believed to be 4 or 5 years old and his mother were taken to the hospital after the child developed a fever, chills and swollen glands.
Sears noted that those particular symptoms are found in a wide variety of illnesses. He said, however, that tests conducted in Bangor were focused on diseases found in Europe and Africa because the child, a U.S. citizen, and his mother had visited both continents before boarding their return flight to the U.S.
Sears said the boy’s illness would continue to be monitored and that the crew and passengers on Delta Flight 259 will be notified if the illness is determined to be contagious and if there was a risk of exposure.
The Airbus A330-200, which was en route from Amsterdam to Minnesota, had 238 passengers when it was diverted to Bangor about 11:40 a.m. because of the medical emergency, BIA Director Tony Caruso said early Friday afternoon. The child and his mother were taken to EMMC by ambulance.
The flight resumed at 12:45 p.m. and arrived at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport two hours later than originally scheduled.
I sure hope this baby recovers, and is ok. I also hope that whatever he has, is not something rare and exotic, putting tons of people at risk.
* Yes, I know the child is 4 or 5 (I did read the article), but he’s SOMEBODY’S BABY!
So are you…. somebody’s baby that is…
That’s right, I am! And so are you! :o)
We are all going to become infected…didn’t anyone see contagion??
!!
This highlights the need for parents keep up with their children’s immunizations. People travel around and then bring diseases to a community that might not be prepared to quickly diagnose it before it spreads further.
I wonder if some of this stuff is coming in with foreign products.
Where does it say he wasn’t up to date on his vaccines?
It doesn’t. If he has picked up and is carrying something though that regular vaccines protect us from, and encounters someone who is not vaccinated, that could create a whole other slew of problems!
No idea if that’s the case, but it’s possible that’s the way 66readerwriter was thinking.
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Infectious
Disease was notified Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention but they feel there is no need to follow up with fellow passengers. Anyone on that plane should pay attention and press for info.