Biosecurity

US Aviation System Needs Plan To Contain Spread Of Communicable Diseases

From the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003 to the Ebola Outbreak just last year, past communicable diseases that can spread quickly via air travel have highlighted the grave threat communicable diseases pose to public health, as well as their detrimental impact on the global economy, according to a recent audit report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The key federal departments charged with preparing for and responding to communicable disease include the Departments of Transportation (DOT), Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security, State (DHS) and Labor and their relevant components, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), HHS’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DHS’s US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.