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Can You Get Tuberculosis on a Plane?

Summary: Recent panic arose when a passenger loaded a plane while sick with TB. Is there an epidemic on the horizon? Or is this worry for no reason?
Air Date: 12/6/13
Duration: 10
Host: Dr. Leigh Vinocur, MD
Guest Bio: Greg Moran, MD
Greg Moran, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is Director of Research in the Dept. of Emergency Medicine, and faculty in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Moran is board certified in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Infectious Diseases, and is particularly interested in infectious disease problems in the Emergency Department. He is an Associate Editor for Annals of Emergency Medicine, and was a medical advisor for the NBC television program ER.
Can You Get Tuberculosis on a Plane?
Recent panic arose when a passenger loaded a plane while sick with Tuberculosis.

But was there really a reason to panic? Can you get TB from flying?

It's not as much of a problem as you might think.

You actually have a much higher risk of getting the flu than you would TB.

Tuberculosis is a contagious airborne bacterial infection that involves your lungs primarily, but may spread to other organs.

Dr. Greg Moran joins Dr. Leigh and helps clear the air about the infection known as TB and what your actual risk factors truly are.