Astraeus passenger dies of Lassa fever

[yellowstar]

Astraeus - Carrier of deadly virus!

Astraeus - Carrier of deadly virus!
Astraeus has issued health warnings to all the operating crew involved after a
737 flight from Sierra Leone to LGW saw an American man contract a deadly African virus named "Lassa Fever" and died days later.

Once again, I will say (this post was previously taken off by Puritan, God knows why?....) what about us crews?

We operate these pathetic "niche" market routes, and are then faced with the prospect of having contracted a deadly African virus. Cheers!

Good luck to all the AEU wannabees......

[Puritan]

Imho, the 'advice' that Astraeus has given to the crew is admirably both 'open & honest' and prompt - in that it has informed the crews that they might have had some exposure, however small is the actual risk, of contracting this disease.

yellowstar, you might not realise this, but every year people contract and die from all manner of both strange and common diseases, ones that are contracted both at home and overseas, wherein to be worried about this you must live in a very cosseted / naive world old son !

With particular respect to Lassa fever, could I invite you to have a good read of the information available from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where, in particular, it says:

The virus cannot be spread through casual contact (including skin-to-skin contact without exchange of body fluids).

So, one imagines that unless you are swapping spit and / or other bodily fluids ( ) with your passengers, your risk of contracting this disease is negligible ( though, theoretically, not zero ); of which might I offer you an analogy, e.g. in that one finds that one has been onboard an aircraft amidst a passenger who was, say, infected with HIV / AIDS, i.e. the most likely outcome is that you won't be infected, but the risk is not zero.

Indeed, and as the above mentioned article suggests, the number of infections per year (in West Africa) of the Lassa virus is estimated at anything between 100,000 and 300,000, with approximately 5,000 deaths in that number.

Aside - did you know that, annually, approx the same number of people die in the UK from something no more exotic than the Flu !

Perhaps putting Lassa fever into perspective, statistics from 'The World Health Organization' estimate that for MALARIA:

• Each year there are, globally, between 300 to 500 million cases of malaria.
• Of those malaria cases, anything between 1 to 3 million people die of as a result; and 75% of those deaths will be African children.
• In areas of Africa with high malaria transmission ( e.g. West Africa ), an estimated 900,000 people die annually as a result; That equates to close-on 2,500 deaths per day, and / or approx 2 deaths per minute, every minute, of every day.

I.e. as many people die every two days as a result of malaria than die annually from Lassa fever - but we don't see you bleating on about that, do we ?!

Look, I'm not in general saying that anybody would prefer to contract either disease, or indeed any disease, but surely having an objective opinion about the true level of risk must be of some consideration ( though obviously not in your case ).

W.r.t. ( as per your original thread ) other airlines not wanting to operate such routes - nothing could be further from the truth - which, in a way, just goes to prove how little you know about the airline business !

Ps. Yellowstar it was not me who removed your post(s) - indeed it was none of the mods associated with AEU - but wherein we made sure it was put back; so there's no need to bother with the conspiracy theories.

[Danny]

Already reported here on PPRuNe on 3rd September. Post links to original article from MNBC

[yellowstar]

Puritan,

I havent time to reply to all your points, but i will just say this..
which other airline that you know of would fight for that scabby sierra leone route? Name a few and I will apologize.

The Crawley News is somewhat to blame for the uproar of scared passengers and crew, but at least they are reporting the story as it is and not behind a smoke screen.

[PPRuNe Radar]

Aren't airlines in business to make money ??? I didn't think that only flying to where the staff wanted to go figured in the business model.

[jcx]

SN Brussels i know for one fly to Sierra Lionne! and i stand to be correct but so do Icelandair.!?

Its somewhere that yes, isnt the nicest place, but then we are vaccinated up to the eyeballs, we regularly take malarone, and AEU ensure we are safe down route!

Yellow Star, do some research and im sure there are more than just a few Airlines that fly diseased pax back from places a LOT safer than Sierra Lionne,

[yellowstar]

Puritan your response is just like saying.

"I could be knocked down by a bus tomorrow so why worry"

Was the catering people at LGW informed or the cleaners and engineers that would be straight on that A/C as soon as it lands about this desease and told to see a doctor?

If there is any chance however remote of anyone catching any desease on AEU A/C it should be adressed straight away.

I am not interested in who deleted the post but these sort of things do happen and the people in the industry should be aware.

Also you would be suprised how much I do know about the airline business.

jcx says,

"Yellow Star, do some research and im sure there are more than just a few Airlines that fly diseased pax back from places a LOT safer than Sierra Lionne"


Puritan sounds like a niche in the market there?

[Dogs_ears_up]

yellowstar I'm a little confused as to how you assess risk? Were Astraeus to avoid all those areas where lethal diseases exist, a majority of the earths' surface and population would immediately be ruled out as destinations and customers. Operating from the remaining "safe" areas would be no gaurantee of freedom from contamination, as any flight can contain any passenger from any country. You are at risk on an aircraft, just as you are at risk in a cinema, elevator or even (god help us) in an NHS hospital. A degree of risk exists in all human activity, even crossing a road. Astraeus have a responsibility to manage risk to a minimum level, but cannot eradicate it. An assumption otherwise is naive.

From your post, it is clear what you dislike about the situation, however you do not state what it is that should have been done instead? I wondered if you could share with us all your proposed procedural changes - otherwise, in the abscence of any coherent suggestions, the uninitiated might imagine that you were using this thread for a cheap sensationalist shot at Astraeus, and that you now regret having posted before you thought rather than vice versa.

And no, I don't work for, or with them, I just feel that this is a serious subject (after all somebody died) that warrants better treatment in the CC forum than the Hissy Fit we see above.

[Rooster_mk1]

I have to admit, like Dogs_ears_up I don't understand what AEU have done wrong in this situation.

Did they know the Passanger had the 'Lassa Fever' before he boarded the aircraft??? If so then I can see why you may be concerned.

I am pretty confident the AEU are aware of the 'Risks' as are every other Airline that grace our skies, and they don't intentionally put their crews at risk.

AEU are fairly new to the business and i am sure these "pathetic "niche" market routes" are helping to make the Airline profitable!!

No I do not work for them before anyone asks.

Rooster
Happy Flapping

[Alberville]

Yellowstar -

I can appreciate you being concerned. But what I can't understand is why you have felt the need to post on here instead of speaking directly with your management team - who let's face it, are pretty damn approachable.

You blame the Crawley News for the uproar of scared passengers and crew....but arn't you doing the same thing?

You're one of the individuals who will never fit in at AEU.....i've seen it a few times over the last 2 years. Do us all a favour and get out now!

Well done to all the top dogs at Astraeus for dealing with this matter in the professional and respectful way you did

[green-eyedbabe]

Excuse me Alberville,

You said you have seen a few people not fit into Astraeus over the last 2 years, well I was there and guess what I left too along with many others darling .

Don't say I didn't work hard, I did and another thing I was always screwed on my commission, some of the crew not all, are lazy and how can you do a full service, on a 1 1/2 hour flight, with champagne cocktail too. Its absolutely disgusting so wake up darling, its not just a few.

I'm not suprised to have read what I did regarding the african disease only Astraeus could bring something like that back..

I'm glad i'm out of there and yes I did leave before my contract ended. Thank god couldn't stand it any longer. Safety and training was good, a lot of people were nice too but lets leave it at that.

Yellowstar,

I\'m afraid if anyone says a thing wrong about Astraeus they lay into you like your mad and evil or something, even though we are allowed opinions and I do think everything I said is true.

[yellowstar]

Green-eyedbabe well said.

Alberville say I should aproach our managment team.

"who let's face it, are pretty damn approachable". I dont think so.

As for the clicky set I dont think I will get in that group.

AEU like many other companies have a policy of if you dont like it clear off then.

Astraeus House must be the head office of pprune it seems to be all they do all day is surf the aviation sites as MODS.

So hopefully soon I will be out of there and onto a proper airline as it has served it purpose.

T.O.D rip

[flymeboy]

Illness on aircraft!!

I am surprised that most of you are blaming Astraeus and "its the thing Astraeus would do" etc because of course no other airline has ever transported a pax that has, unknown to them become ill etc - have they?

I can think of another charter carrier based at LGW that had crew in hospital because of a route that they operated and probably picked up from the pax onboard, and it was to a destination, that you would say is "dodgy".

Can we leave the Astraeus bashing as I think it was done to death a while ago, its like all airlines, some people fit in better when others dont! and for a majority of it's the same POOPOO just a different shovel!

FMB x

[Dogs_ears_up]

Well green-eyedbabe, reading between the lines, I'd guess Astraeus miss you about as much as you do them. Nobody here will prevent you from having your own opinions - however, if you insist on presenting yourself in such an infantile way, it is not surprising that you will attract some flak. For example:

I'm not suprised to have read what I did regarding the african disease only Astraeus could bring something like that back..

Yes, that's right, you wrote it - looks a little silly now, doesn't it? So Astraeus are the only airline in the world that have carried a passenger with a disease into the UK, are they? Or are you suggesting that they either did so deliberately, or because their procedures are lax?

Don't say I didn't work hard, I did and another thing I was always screwed on my commission, some of the crew not all, are lazy and how can you do a full service, on a 1 1/2 hour flight, with champagne cocktail too. Its absolutely disgusting so wake up darling, its not just a few.

No, sorry, Lassa fever is disgusting, so are many other things - your own inability to cope with various Cabin Services is neither disgusting, nor interesting, nor, ultimately, relevant to this thread: Ditto your personal problems with commission and your tedious assessment of your fellow crew (presumably no other airline suffers from some crew that are lazier than others?)

In short, both you, and yellowstar would be well advised to think more carefully before indulging in a petty rant in front of your peers - If you wish to be taken seriously, then try posting as adults. Your assertion that there is some sort of pro-Asraeus conspiracy is, of course, the last refuge of one who is unable to make their own case coherently. Grow up!

[green-eyedbabe]

Yes Astraeus are lax and of course you are the best airline
aren't you (what a joke you are too), Can't take the truth now can you. No I don't miss Astraeus would rather give them a miss, they are like Primark compared to Mark and Spencers.




Now good riddance

[Puritan]

Yellowstar - one can be certain that if a passenger becomes ill, and / or passes-away during a flight, 'Port Health' will be requested to meet the aircraft upon arrival at the destination - following which, at Port Health’s instigation, certain measures would have come to the fore.

Nb. What happens when pax become unwell / die in transit is not arbitrary but laid down in law.

This requirement, i.e. for Port Health, is annotated in most airlines’ manuals ( which, is something you should be fully familiar with ), e.g. the AEU Customer Services Manual says:

Passengers with infectious diseases including but not limited to chicken pox, measles, mumps, food poisoning, malaria and German measles will not be accepted for travel. It is recommended that passengers who have recently suffered from such conditions carry a doctor’s certificate to state that the condition is no longer contagious and that the passenger is fit to travel.

In the event of a passenger being diagnosed with an infectious disease or food poisoning during an Astraeus flight to the UK, it is a statutory requirement that we notify the Port Health authorities at the destination airfield.
The authorities may meet the aircraft on arrival to assess the passenger’s condition.
It is also a requirement that the cabin crew collect the names and addresses of all passengers aboard the aircraft so that the Port Health authorities have information relating to all passengers who may have been in contact with the infectious disease.

As it happens, Lassa fever has an incubation period of between one and three weeks wherein, in this instance, in spite of feeling unwell before he travelled ( his malaise being the reported reason for his wanting to return to the USA ), the unfortunate chap only checked-in to the emergency area of the Mercer Medical Centre 4 days after he had departed from Sierra Leone, whereupon he sadly passed-away on the 5th day after leaving SL.

During his travels he apparently made no complaint and / or exhibited little or no symptoms that might have caused the crew, of either aircraft ( AEU or Continental ), to be concerned ( which is precisely why Port Health at either LGW or EWR did not become involved ), i.e. nothing was untoward with the gentleman when he was in transit.

Accordingly, it was only after being admitted to hospital ( some days after arriving in the USA ) that his condition was fully diagnosed – wherein the local State Health Department contacted the USA ‘Centers for Disease Control’ who subsequently contact their EU/UK counterparts, etc..... and thus the whole ripple-down effect is promulgated to one & all who might have had contact, however miniscule their risk as a result of casual contact.

Nb. High risk exposure involves contact with bodily fluids, and there is no indication – as reported by state health officials - that the man had symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhoea on either flight(s) or on the New Jersey transit train.

Remembering that millions of passengers travel on airliners every day, one has to say that the incidence of onward transmission of infectious diseases is remarkably low – which perhaps goes to show just how hard it is for such diseases to be passed onwards and is, no doubt, why the various medical and epidemiologist’s say as much about the risks.

Yellowstar, one feels bound to imply that your theatrical reaction to this seems to suggest somebody who really should get out more, either that or wrap yourself up in cotton wool within a hermetically sealed cocoon safe from all apparent risks - and certainly avoid the airline business.

In any event, life old son is risky - where nobody gets out alive ! - so enjoy the opportunities while you can.

Moving on, I really couldn’t give a toss getting an apology from you but, to answer your question about other airlines operating to SL,..... how about Sierra National ( Brussels ) - albeit that Astraeus have all but put them out of business - and I also seem to recall that Monarch Airlines hold Traffic Rights for the route and that at least two other UK charter airlines are hovering in the wings with applications – indeed the route is ‘niche’ enough ( no pun intended ) that a good many EU, USA and other countries airlines ( both charter and schedule ) are looking to obtain Traffic Rights – but then, being so knowledgeable about the airline business, you’d already be privy to this, wouldn’t you ?!

Good luck with the new job - who knows where you might end up.

Ps. ( hence the edit, and for typos ) It hasn't gone unnoticed that certain individuals here have used this poor mans death ( he was a father to six children ) as an excuse to berate their current / previous employer.
Needless to say, I'll leave it to the rest of you to deduce the likely character, humanity and integrity of these people.

[Rooster_mk1]

"only Astraeus could bring something like that back.."

That is the funniest thing I have seen in ages!! Loving your work!

I can see the headlines now;

Airline Imports Ebola Virus (Just to annoy their Crew)

I think the two of you are forgetting that some poor guy passed away here. The guy caught a bug! Astraeus didn't give it to the chap, they didn't make him go to Sierra Leone nor did they know he had it.
How has this managed to turn into a AEU bashing session? Utter nonsense. What does it have to do with wether you are getting "screwed" out of bar comission??

I also notice that CO are not being hammered for carrying a passanger to New York with 'Lassa Fever', oh hang a minute, that's right, THEY DIDN'T KNOW EITHER!!

Rooster
Happy Flapping

[Trol E Doll]

I work for a major UK charter airline. I fly to places, and stay in places where there is a high incident of assorted nasty diseases. With my employers help, I take all the sensible precautions to ensure I don't catch anything nasty.

Yellowstar,you are being a bit naughty, as We ( you and I ) both know you don't work for Astraeus, since they "terminated " your contract. So, be a good boy and keep your head down.

Safe Flying Guys.

[SunDanced Kid]

Green EyedBabe / Yellowstar

I thought this con was about a poor man who has died!!! Not about slaggin AEU off.... Glad the pair of you have gone to pastures new.

Don't say I didn't work hard, I did and another thing I was always screwed on my commission, some of the crew not all, are lazy and how can you do a full service, on a 1 1/2 hour flight, with champagne cocktail too. Its absolutely disgusting so wake up darling, its not just a few.

This comment did actually make me laugh , seem to forget you are here to work!!! But ofcourse BA dont do a full service between LGW - MAN do they and other airlines give there Business Class Passengers a Full Breakfast Service between LON - CDG.. get with the real world girl.. Maybe you should find a job where you can sit on your arse all day and do nothing and get paid for it

And to the quote of Management not being approachable well with your attitude I am not surprised

[yellowstar]

Trol E Doll, (Trol being the word!)

I certainly havent been terminated, ive still got about a month to go, and then i cannot wait to get out of there believe me.

as i said before, it has served a purpose, but that is all.

This has turned into a right slanging match, chill out!