14 DAY TRIAL // Because of their rather "crowded" nature, airports are very likely to be the source of the new spreads of previously-eradicated diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, in major city centers throughout the US, recent studies show. Because the climate becomes increasingly warmer, areas with appropriate living conditions to house the main carriers of such afflictions, namely mosquitoes, are constantly expanding, in regions where these insects could not live before.
Awareness levels on how easy diseases are transmitted in airports are beginning to rise, especially considering that a single mosquito could start an epidemic with relative ease. During cargo movements inside airport terminals, mosquitoes could become trapped inside the plane, in the passenger lounges or inside the cargo hall. Once the plane reaches its destination, the insects can bite people inside the terminal, infecting them with whatever disease they are carrying.
Seeing how flights rarely last more than 24 hours, it's easy to acknowledge the fact that epidemics could spread from Australia or China to the US within two or three days, infecting numerous cities at the same time.
"As international travel increases and climate patterns change – particularly warming nighttime temperatures and increased precipitation – the U.S. becomes a more stable ecosystem for these disease carrying insects to survive and flourish for longer periods of time," argues Louisiana State University program director for Environmental and Occupational Health, James H. Diaz, M.D., who is also a member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).
"The best defense against the spread of malaria through international travel is prevention, early detection and treatment of malaria-infected patients, and draining stagnant areas of water where mosquitoes breed and lay eggs," Diaz said.
He went on to add that "People need to remember that West Nile disease was introduced into the U.S. in 1999 by international air travel. Before reaching the United States, West Nile wasn't viewed as a threat to North America. Now we see just how quickly and easily infectious diseases can be spread, proving that we need to take measures to protect ourselves from these diseases before they actually reach the United States."