Travel Safety - Bird Flu & DVT Update.

DVT is again in the headlines after highly-respected medical journal The Lancet revealed new research. Exhaustive research from Dutch scientists showed the condition is more likely to occur on an aircraft than sitting for long periods at home or in a cinema. The researchers point to low air pressure, poor oxygen levels, stress and air pollution as all being possible factors for an eight-hour flight being potentially more harmful than other sedentary activities. The tests looked at 71 healthy participants before and after a series of activities, but flying was found to be the most likely to cause DVT. Recent cases against airlines, including British Airways, have been lost in the courts, but continuing pressure from passengers, doctors and campaigners will make carriers consider again the need for optimum seating for profits against room for people to move around a cabin. http://www.thelancet.com Mar 12, 2006

Chertoff says bird flu could affect U.S. fowl in several months. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the U.S. should be prepared for the possibility that at some point in the next few months fowl may be infected with the H5N1 strain of the bird flu, adding that the Department of Agriculture has dealt with other strains of bird flu for years. Airlines are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve in-flight reporting of sick passengers to destination airports. The H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus can not yet be passed from person to person. Mar 10, 2006

Bird flu slows growth in summer travel bookings. Concerns about the avian flu have slowed growth in bookings for summer travel, according to European travel company TUI. The company expects bookings to improve unless there is a wider outbreak of the bird flu. Mar 9, 2006

European airports, airlines prepare for bird flu. European businesses, airlines and airports are preparing for a possible outbreak of the human strain of bird flu. British Airways is exploring how to deal with a decline in travelers, and London's Heathrow Airport is focusing on hygiene among workers. Feb 22, 2006

Bird flu not a top concern for Americans. A survey of 1,000 Americans found that people are more concerned about issues such as hurricanes or car accidents than they are about the bird flu. As many as 59% of respondents said they believed the bird flu would ultimately reach American soil, but only 44% said they were concerned that the flu would affect them or their families personally. Jan 31, 2006

Swiss airports

Airline passengers may be screened for fever. The Swiss authorities are examining the use of fever-detecting cameras at airports to help protect the country in the event of a human bird flu pandemic. The Federal Health Office has commissioned a research study to assess the practicality of using thermal imaging cameras to screen for the deadly disease. Thermal imaging cameras can measure the body's surface temperature. Feb 22, 2006