A300 flight attendant reports of sick passenger who was taken off aircraft by paramedics as a medica...

Attributes
ACN	400325
Time
Date	199804
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
ASRS Report	400325
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	other Other

Narrative:

Shortly after boarding, involved passenger requested glass of water, wishing to take 'alka-seltzer.' appeared normal to me, but later in flight I learned from other flight attendant's he'd vomited numerous times and was in great distress. Only upon arrival did I learn that paramedics had been summoned. Passenger was removed from aircraft before passenger deplaning. As I understand, he was questioned and admitted to being diagnosed with hepatitis (strain unclr). Crew was notified likelihood of contraction was incredibly low as we would have had to eaten food or drinken water handled by him. Regardless, I will seek future testing and immunization. Given the widespread occurrence of hepatitis and other diseases among the populations of some countries, the airlines should more carefully screen passenger. As a precautionary measure, however, crews should be given mandatory immunizations and the cost should be covered by the employer!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 FLT ATTENDANT REPORTS OF SICK PAX WHO WAS TAKEN OFF ACFT BY PARAMEDICS AS A MEDICAL EMER. PAX ADMITS BEING DIAGNOSED WITH HEPATITIS. FLT ATTENDANT CONCERNED ABOUT CONTAGIOUS DISEASES EXPOSING FLT CREWS.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER BOARDING, INVOLVED PAX REQUESTED GLASS OF WATER, WISHING TO TAKE 'ALKA-SELTZER.' APPEARED NORMAL TO ME, BUT LATER IN FLT I LEARNED FROM OTHER FA'S HE'D VOMITED NUMEROUS TIMES AND WAS IN GREAT DISTRESS. ONLY UPON ARRIVAL DID I LEARN THAT PARAMEDICS HAD BEEN SUMMONED. PAX WAS REMOVED FROM ACFT BEFORE PAX DEPLANING. AS I UNDERSTAND, HE WAS QUESTIONED AND ADMITTED TO BEING DIAGNOSED WITH HEPATITIS (STRAIN UNCLR). CREW WAS NOTIFIED LIKELIHOOD OF CONTRACTION WAS INCREDIBLY LOW AS WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO EATEN FOOD OR DRINKEN WATER HANDLED BY HIM. REGARDLESS, I WILL SEEK FUTURE TESTING AND IMMUNIZATION. GIVEN THE WIDESPREAD OCCURRENCE OF HEPATITIS AND OTHER DISEASES AMONG THE POPULATIONS OF SOME COUNTRIES, THE AIRLINES SHOULD MORE CAREFULLY SCREEN PAX. AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, HOWEVER, CREWS SHOULD BE GIVEN MANDATORY IMMUNIZATIONS AND THE COST SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE EMPLOYER!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A300 flight attendant reports of sick passenger who was taken off aircraft by paramedics as a medical emergency. Passenger admits being diagnosed with hepatitis. Flight attendant concerned about contagious diseases exposing flight crews.