A woman infected with multidrug-resistent tuberculosis, or MDR TB, “traveled from New Delhi to Chicago on American Airlines Flight 293 on December 13, and then to California on a domestic flight,” say officials with the Centers for Disease Control. They’re now trying to locate 44 passengers who sat near the woman as well as crewmembers who worked in the same cabin.

The CDC isn’t looking for passengers who traveled on the shorter flight with her because the chance of infection on that flight is “minimal.” Have a nice weekend, all you hypochondriacs who flew domestic flights in California on December 13th!

We really wish people would realize that you don’t get to travel (at least not with strangers) if you’ve been diagnosed with MDR TB. Doctors should make patients watch the coughing-in-the-theater scene from “Outbreak” every time they diagnose someone with an infection like this.

“Tuberculosis exposure feared on India-to-U.S. flight” [Reuters]
(Photo: Getty)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.