Influenza Outbreaks Among Passengers and Crew on Two Cruise Ships: A Recent Account of Preparedness and Response to an Ever-Present Challenge.

Background: During spring 2014, two large influenza outbreaks occurred among cruise ship passengers and crew on trans-hemispheric itineraries.

Methods: Passenger and crew information for both ships was obtained from components of the ship medical records. Data included demographics, diagnosis of influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory illness (ARI), illness onset date, passenger cabin number, crew occupation, influenza vaccination history, and rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT) result, if performed.

Three air travel-related contact investigations associated with infectious tuberculosis, 2007-2008.

Background: The potential for transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during air travel has garnered considerable attention in the media and among public health authorities due to high-profile cases of international travelers with infectious tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: During 2007 and 2008, state and local health officials were asked to locate and conduct diagnostic follow-up for airline passengers considered contacts of three travelers, two with multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB and one considered highly contagious, who undertook air travel while infectious with TB disease.

Results: Public health departments in 21 states located and evaluated 79 (60%) of the 131 passenger contacts identified; 52 (40%) were lost to follow-up.