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  • Hawaii to screen international travelers for flu-like illnesses

    Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/s...2/daily30.html

    Wednesday, June 4, 2008 - 2:51 PM HAST
    Hawaii to screen international travelers for flu-like illnesses
    Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

    The Hawaii Department of Health announced Wednesday that the state will implement a voluntary checkpoint screening process for international visitors to detect flu-like illness at Honolulu International Airport.

    The program will span a one-year period
    and was made possible through a cooperative agreement between the Hawaii Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the amount of $289,000, the department said.

    The Department of Health will collaborate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CDC, the Hawaii Department of Transportation and Hawaiian Airlines, the health department said.

    "During [severe acute respiratory syndrome] other countries screened for flu-like illness at airports," said Chiyome Fukino, director of the Health Department, in a statement. "It makes sense for the U.S. to investigate this strategy, given the very real concerns for a potential influenza pandemic. Being a global travel destination, Hawaii is a good place to start. We hope to share what we learn here with the rest of the nation."

    The screening process will include a questionnaire, which includes basic demographic information, recent travel history and illness history. Travelers who feel feverish will be asked to go through a voluntary checkpoint process. Those passengers will then be checked for illness. If they have a fever, the traveler will be tested voluntarily for the flu.

    The program builds upon the illness surveillance procedures that the Department of Health began at Honolulu International Airport in November 2005, which was designed to detect influenza-like illnesses and identify infection by new flu strains, including avian flu.

  • #2
    Re: Hawaii to screen international travelers for flu-like illnesses



    Mar 17, 2008 (CIDRAP News)
    excerpt:
    A plan to screen travelers

    Another containment strategy invoked in the exercise, though in a limited way, was to screen incoming travelers in areas not yet affected by the pandemic. At the Tuesday afternoon press conference, Dr. Francisco Averhoff of the CDC Division of Global Migration and Quarantine announced a screening program designed to slow the spread of flu into Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, which were not yet reporting cases.

    The plan, he said, was to funnel all airline flights to one airport for each of those jurisdictions?Anchorage, Honolulu, and San Juan?and to screen all arriving passengers with a visual check, health questionnaire, and physical exam. Sick passengers were to be isolated and treated, and their contacts quarantined.

    This plan had aroused considerable concern in state officials when it was described at the CDC conference call with state officials earlier the same afternoon. The Department of Homeland Security was to conduct the primary visual check of incoming passengers, and the CDC was to do the medical screening, with an interview and physical exam. Each state health department was asked to provide 20 staffers to help out with evaluating passengers, isolating and treating patients, and quarantining contacts, CDC officials said.

    "You're asking us to give up 20 of our staff?" replied a Dr. James from Alaska. "That's just not realistic for us to give up that many. That's practically our whole staff." Similarly, a Hawaiian official added that it would "extremely difficult" for his state to provide the help the CDC was requesting.

    The state officials said they would try to assign staff members to help with the effort, but they needed information on what kinds of workers the CDC wanted. CDC officials promised to send a list.

    At the news conference, a "reporter" asked how much good the screening program could do, given that the virus had a 2-day incubation period and apparently healthy travelers could be infected.

    "The screening isn't foolproof," acknowledged Dr. Stephen Redd, the influenza team leader. "What we're trying to do is decrease the numbers and the burden of disease in a community. We know it's not going to completely keep the virus out of these areas. We know that complete closure of the borders does not work. You would only slow the introduction."

    When he was asked about screening at land border stations, Redd said the government had no major plans for enhanced screening. "We're working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico. We feel that activities at land ports of entry would not be effective. It would be a misuse of our resources," he said.

    Similarly, at the Tuesday morning news conference Gerberding reported there were no plans for increased screening of incoming international travelers other than places like Alaska and Puerto Rico. "The fact is we have the most cases of anywhere in the world. It's not likely that doing things to keep people out will make much difference," she said.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Hawaii to screen international travelers for flu-like illnesses

      "At the news conference, a "reporter" asked how much good the screening program could do, given that the virus had a 2-day incubation period and apparently healthy travelers could be infected.

      "The screening isn't foolproof," acknowledged Dr. Stephen Redd, the influenza team leader. "What we're trying to do is decrease the numbers and the burden of disease in a community. We know it's not going to completely keep the virus out of these areas. We know that complete closure of the borders does not work. You would only slow the introduction."

      When he was asked about screening at land border stations, Redd said the government had no major plans for enhanced screening. "We're working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico. We feel that activities at land ports of entry would not be effective. It would be a misuse of our resources," he said."


      A hard nut problem indeed.

      If land borders are not controlled, the meaning of air control is for the initial international infected people only.

      "The complete closure of the borders does not work"
      Is this realy true?
      How it works in a war?
      Can't the pandemic time working be switched mainly in regional borders?

      (Cargo) ships, trains, and plains can provide tradings runned by shielded workers, and be quarantined safely.

      Is it realy necessary to have a mass of people traveling between borders in an starting pandemic instead of the "necessary ones" for goods/meds/order only?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Hawaii to screen international travelers for flu-like illnesses

        Hawaii begins testing some arriving travelers for flu

        Robert Roos News Editor

        Jun 6, 2008 (CIDRAP News) ? The first real test of a new program to screen some arriving passengers at the Honolulu airport for flu-like illness went smoothly this week, according to an official with the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH).


        The guinea pigs for the voluntary program were the passengers on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Sydney, Australia, who were asked to fill out a questionnaire during the flight and turn it in at the airport. The purpose of the effort is to prepare for health screening that might be imposed
        during an influenza pandemic or other infectious disease outbreak.


        "The pilot [screening operation] went extremely well," said Sarah Park, MD, deputy chief of the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division. "I think everyone was extremely happy about how it went. It was a good demonstration of a strong collaborative process. Basically, 149 passengers were screened in about 10? minutes."


        The questionnaire responses showed there were no sick passengers on the flight, Park reported. If any had had flu-like symptoms, they would have been asked to submit to a voluntary rapid flu test requiring a throat swab.
        The new screening program is being funded with $289,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The DOH is collaborating on it with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Hawaii Department of Transportation, and Hawaiian Airlines.


        Park said the screening is strictly voluntary. The general procedure is that passengers are given the health questionnaires while in flight and asked to complete them before landing. The forms include questions about any illness symptoms and travel history, along with demographic details. On arrival, passengers are asked to hand the questionnaires to screeners, who scan them quickly for reports of key signs and symptoms, primarily fever.
        Those who have symptoms are asked to submit to a rapid flu test, which takes only a couple of minutes, Park said. A person who tests positive will be given information about flu and released, assuming all signs suggest it is ordinary seasonal flu. A sample is also sent to the DOH laboratory for polymerase chain reaction testing, and the patient is later told the result.
        But if a passenger's medical condition and travel history suggest the possibility of avian flu or some other serious disease, the DOH will call the CDC quarantine station at the airport, and the CDC would decide what to do from there, she said.


        Park said the initial goal of the program is to screen the passengers and crew of one arriving international flight per week. "As the process becomes more routine, eventually we'll go to three flights per week and finally top off at four flights per week. It's never been the intention to screen every international flight, but just do more of a sampling." As of 2005, the Honolulu airport had 167 arriving international flights per week, she said.
        Hawaii is the first US state to launch voluntary screening for flu-like illness, the DOH said in a Jun 4 news release.


        "During SARS other countries screened for flu-like illness at airports," Director of Health Chiyome Fukino, MD, said in the release. "It makes sense for the U.S. to investigate this strategy, given the very real concerns for a potential influenza pandemic. Being a global travel destination, Hawaii is a good place to start. We hope to share what we learn with the rest of the nation."


        The screening program is an active surveillance effort that supplements the passive surveillance already in place for arriving international flights, Park explained. Technically, every pilot flying into the United States is required to report ahead to the airport if they are aware of a sick person on board, she said. When that happens, the CDC or an airport medical team is supposed to meet and evaluate the sick person on arrival.
        At the Honolulu airport, officials began testing arriving sick passengers for flu as part of the passive surveillance program in November 2005, Park said. The test is "not required, but most people agree," she said. "There maybe have been one or two that didn't want to do it."


        In the debut of the new screening program on Jun 4, the DOH used 14 people to scan the completed questionnaires, Park reported. A key contributor to the test's success was providing the questionnaires during the flight so people could complete them in advance. "There were no ill passengers this time, so that contributed to the efficiency of the process as well," she said. It also helped that all the passengers spoke English.
        "They were all very agreeable to the process," she said. When some passengers were asked afterward what they thought of the program, "some actually said they wondered why we didn't ask more questions and why we didn't ask for contact information up front. It prompted us to wonder if other travelers would be so amenable."


        See also:
        Hawaii DOH news release
        Mar 17 CIDRAP News story "CDC pandemic exercise highlights drug, mitigation, travel issues"



        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Hawaii to screen international travelers for flu-like illnesses

          Source: http://news.cheapflights.com/airline...-pilots-n.html
          Travel Related News
          Hawaii pilots new flu-check on arrival system

          The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) has announced the successful pilot of a flu testing system at Honolulu Airport.

          Passengers traveling with Hawaiian Airlines were screened for the virus on arrival at the airport.

          Travelers filled in health questionnaires as part of the DOH's plan to prepare for a health screening system which may be imposed in case of a flu pandemic.

          Sarah Park, MD, Deputy Chief of the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division, commented: "The pilot went extremely well.

          "I think everyone was extremely happy about how it went. It was a good demonstration of a strong collaborative process. Basically, 149 passengers were screened in about 10.5 minutes."

          Hawaii is the first U.S. state to introduce voluntary screening for flu-like illnesses and follows an earlier testing program in November 2005.

          ? Adfero Ltd

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Hawaii to screen international travelers for flu-like illnesses

            "It's never been the intention to screen every international flight, but just do more of a sampling."
            ___

            If that's only an cold start, finishing in screning every int. flight, ok.

            If that's only an statistical sampling method, instead of became an anti-illness filter, than it's no good. It's enaugh to have only 1 infected non screened plain to spread the illness throughout the country.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Hawaii to screen international travelers for flu-like illnesses

              Source: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story....c-d4424eb98b90

              Hawaii Conducts Airport Screening of International Travelers for Flu-Like Illnesses
              By Judy Kern, 12/3/2008 2:04:18 PM

              HONOLULU - The Hawai?i State Department of Health, in collaboration with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Hawai?i Department of Transportation and Japan Airlines, today conducted the next phase of a pilot project successfully launched this past June to screen passengers of international flights for flu-like illnesses at Honolulu International Airport. Hawai?i is the first and only state in the nation to implement a voluntary checkpoint screening process to detect flu-like illnesses among incoming international travelers.

              ?We know that Hawai?i is a major international travel destination. With that distinction comes the possibility that infectious diseases may spread from other parts of the world to our state,? said Director of Health Chiyome Fukino, M.D. ?That?s why it?s so important our department and our partners be prepared and able to check the airport for ill travelers who may have infectious diseases. We want to help control the spread of new illnesses, not only to our community, but to others as well.?

              ?CDC is happy to partner with the Hawai?i Department of Health and U.S. Customs and Border Protection on this pilot program,? said Jennifer Brooks, Chief of the CDC Quarantine Station in Honolulu. ?In the event of a highly contagious disease outbreak like a flu pandemic, federal authorities will likely conduct surveillance that may include actively screening passengers for signs and symptoms consistent with flu as they enter the United States. Through this program, we hope to establish efficient standard procedures that we can share with the rest of the country to screen travelers for illness.?

              ?The initial phase of the pilot conducted with Hawaiian Airlines went extremely well,? noted Dr. Sarah Park, chief, DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division. ?Building upon that successful experience and the strong partnerships that have developed, we focused on the added challenges of efficiently screening a larger number of passengers including non-English speakers. We are grateful for the cooperation and support of all our partners, whose knowledge and experience have been invaluable in enhancing this active surveillance program.?


              ?U.S. Customs and Border Protection secures the borders and facilitates trade and travel,? said Bruce Murley, CBP Acting Honolulu Area Port Director. ?Partnering with the Hawai?i State Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in this pilot program adds to our capabilities of providing proper enforcement coverage in the event of a public health emergency.?

              The screening process begins with a questionnaire asking for basic demographic information, recent travel itinerary and illness history including the presence or absence of fever. Travelers feeling feverish are asked to voluntarily pass through a quick checkpoint staffed by trained medical screeners. If fever is detected, the traveler would enter the routine influenza-like illness surveillance procedure and be asked to undergo a throat swab to test for a flu infection. If the passenger does not have a fever or other symptoms of illness, he or she would be directed to the CBP processing area to resume routine entry procedures. All information collected is kept confidential.

              In November 2005, Hawai?i became the first state in the nation to establish a passive airport surveillance program for all Honolulu-bound travelers.
              The program was designed to detect influenza-like illness and infection with new flu virus strains, including avian flu. Currently, pilots must notify the Honolulu airport tower if they are arriving with a potentially ill passenger on board. The CDC Quarantine Station is called to meet and evaluate the passenger at the gate. Passengers who have fever and respiratory symptoms are asked to undergo flu testing.

              Judy Kern is with the Communications Office of the Department of Health.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Hawaii to screen international travelers for flu-like illnesses

                Source: http://www.starbulletin.com/news/haw...l?page=all&c=y

                Screening of passengers for flu called a success
                The process aims to prevent the spread of infectious diseases
                By Helen Altonn
                POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 24, 2008

                A voluntary screening process for flulike illnesses among international arrivals at Hono- lulu 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. Sarah 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 done more often next year, a state Health Department official said.

                The process was tested recently on 435 arriving Japan Airlines passengers, said Dr. Sarah 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."

                Comment

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