LAX Arrivals Warned on Signs of Plague

It seemed a bit out of place against the backdrop of modern-day jets, but passengers coming to Los Angeles International Airport from India received warnings Thursday to watch out for signs they had been exposed to plague, the deadly disease that ravaged Europe during the Middle Ages.

Federal health officers handed out “plague alert” notices to passengers arriving on the one flight a day from India, a Delta Air Lines jet. It warned them to seek medical treatment if they develop plague-like symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and fever. Immigration officers also were issuing the warnings to Indian immigrants arriving on other flights.

As is always required, flight attendants on all international flights have been instructed to notify health officials of all on-board illnesses. So far, there have been no reports in Los Angeles or any other U.S. city of any passengers with symptoms of the disease, according to health officials.

Pneumonic plague--a strain of the bubonic plague or “Black Death” that killed an estimated 25 million people, or one quarter of the population of Europe during the 14th Century--has killed at least 48 people in India since last week.

Dr. Shirley Fannin, director of disease control for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, said earlier this week that she alerted hospital emergency rooms to be on the lookout for the disease. She also is preparing a contingency plan in the event of an outbreak here.

The bubonic form of the disease is spread to humans by fleas that have bitten infected rats; the pneumonic form is transmitted from one human to another. Both forms of the disease have been reported in India, the health warning says.

People who are infected with the pneumonic form suffer high fevers, vomit blood and their lungs fill with fluid. Death occurs within three to four days. Despite its deadly reputation, plague can be cured if a victim is treated promptly with antibiotics.

The notice says that the incubation period of plague is usually two to seven days and advises anyone arriving from India who develops a fever to consult a physician.