At least 10 passengers and crew members on an Emirates flight from Dubai to New York were taken to a hospital in New York City on Wednesday after several passengers and crew members complained of flu-like symptoms during the 14-hour trip, the airlines said.
The flight was quarantined on the runway at John F Kennedy International Airport for hours after 106 people on the flight reported feeling ill, reported NBC New York.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said that apart from the 10 people who had been taken to hospital, nine people reported ill but declined medical attention. The Centers for Disease Control, however, said that of the 549 people on board 11 people had been taken to hospital.
New York City’s Acting Health Commissioner Dr Oxiris Barbot said laboratory tests on samples of patients were yet to confirm the illness but symptoms such as fever, cough and vomiting indicate influenza, reported Reuters. A “vast majority” of the people who initially reported feeling sick were found to be free of any illness when screened, she added.
All passengers were screened before they disembarked the aircraft and cleared customs. They were also advised to call a doctor if they develop symptoms later. Those who were hospitalised are now stable, Dr Barbot said.
In a statement, the Port Authority of New York and Jersey said the plane was “taken to a location away from the terminal” so that medical personnel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could evaluate the situation.
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