- Hello Jeff - There are numerous health risks for air
travelers, everything from transmission of H5N1, respiratory diseases and
other infectious diseases, not to mention stroke and heart attacks after
sitting in place for many hours on long flights. Now, in the name of "SECURITY"
?? we can look foward to transmission of various foot disease pathogens.
-
- IF the transportation security adminiistration is going
to continue the practice of making people remove their shoes and walk on
unsanitary flooring, then "paper slippers" should be provided
to travelers.
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- Patricia Doyle
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- Transmission Of Dermatophytes And Tinea Pedis
In US Airports
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- Having spent some time with mycotic infections, I am
startled to see that the Transportation Security Administration, who supposedly
monitors airports, "strongly" suggests that passengers remove
their shoes while passing through the lines in American airports. The penalty
for not doing so is an intimidating delay in which a total body scan for
such contraband as glasses frames and wrist watches is conducted, whereupon
you still are required to remove your shoes and to stand around on unkempt
airport carpets while your shoes are X-rayed! If you do as "suggested,"
you must march 10 to 15 feet either barefoot or in stocking feet to a point
where one's shoes may be reclaimed. This is evidently because a demented
passenger attempted to ignite his shoes with either matches or a cigarette
lighter, already prohibited.
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- Unless I am terribly mistaken, one's flora are being
mixed with that of several hundreds of thousand of passengers who have
passed through the same lines. The floors are rarely cleaned (evidently)
and never disinfected. Has simple hygiene been forfeited in the US in the
name of "security?" When the TSA finally answered a query, they
told me that OSHA had approved the cross contamination of hundreds of thousands
of feet. The CDC, NIH, WHO, or state or local health departments were not
consulted. National Security indeed.
-
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- ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org
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- ProMED thanks Dr. Fox for alerting us to this previously
unrecognized danger stemming from the common security practice in US airports.
Though a disgusting and unaesthetic procedure, the people at highest risk
must obviously be airport security staff. Studies documenting increased
risk of dermatophytes and/or tinea pedis, and increased risk of respiratory
tract symptoms like asthma or allergic alveolitis, is clearly highly needed.
- Mod.EP ................ep/msp/mpp
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-
- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?
Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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