Based on additional information obtained during interviews of close contacts to the second healthcare worker from Texas Presbyterian Hospital who tested positive for Ebola, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expanding its outreach to airline passengers now to include those who flew from Dallas Fort Worth to Cleveland on Frontier flight 1142 on Oct. 10.
CDC is now asking passengers on Frontier Airlines flight 1142 Dallas/Fort Worth to Cleveland on Oct. 10 and passengers on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth on Oct. 13 to call 1 800-CDC INFO (1 800 232-4636). Public health professionals will interview passengers about the flight, answer their questions, and arrange follow up if warranted. Individuals who are determined to be at any potential risk will be actively monitored.
On the morning of Oct. 14, the second healthcare worker reported to the hospital with a low-grade fever and was isolated. The CDC confirmed that the second healthcare worker who tested positive for Ebola Oct. 14 had traveled by air Oct. 10 and again Oct. 13, the day before she reported symptoms.
CDC is reaching out to passengers who flew on Frontier Airlines flight 1142 Dallas/Fort Worth to Cleveland in addition to Frontier flight 1143. Frontier is working closely with CDC to identify passengers who may have traveled on flight 1142 on Oct. 10. Passengers who may have traveled on flight 1142 or flight 1143 should contact CDC at 1 800-CDC INFO (1 800 232-4636).
Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with blood or body fluids of an Ebola-infected person. Direct contact means that body fluids (blood, saliva, mucus, vomit, urine, or feces) from an infected person (alive or dead) have touched someone’s eyes, nose, or mouth or an open cut, wound, or abrasion. Ebola is killed with hospital-grade disinfectants (such as household bleach). The airline used appropriate measures to thoroughly clean the plane consistent with CDC guidelines.
Source: CDC
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.