I doubt that any of you were on Trans-Atlantic flights in May, however, we were a bit nervous as we had a grown child on a flight. Here is info on XDR-TB. We were fortunate, our kid was on a different flight, a few days later.

http://www.who.int/tb/xdr/en/index.html

Why post this here? Because many people with PN and related conditions are on immunosuppressives, which can make you more vulnerble to contracting these types of diseases. I was fortunate when I received high dose IV methylprednisolone via a PICC. However, I didn't go out much and we were absoultely meticulous about the care of that PICC line.

No, you can't do much about requiring an immunosuppressive to control your disease or save your life, just be wise regarding what you expose yourself to.

I don't want to sound OCD, but I still have alcohol gel in my car for after every shopping trip...you can't imagine the microbes on the handles of shopping carts!!

Althought XDR-TB is not a likely candidate for any of our demises, at this point, all contagious diseases are on the rise, including Prion disease. No don't postpone any trips, I don't plan to, but, I would not travel to a foreign land or put myself in a situation if I were immunocompromised.

Sure, we all go of something, but man, to get on a plane perfectly healthy and die 16 days later, because some jerk decided he had 'compelling reasons' to visit Europe knowing he has a contagious form of TB, that has a very high mortality rate, makes me really question what people think is moral behavior!

This isn't much different than jabbing a lot of people with a dirty needle from a person infected with a serious disease.

The CDC takes a very low key approach to these types of things as they are panicked about panic.

We need comprehensive health testing and monitoring of individuals who are involved in cross border travel. Why not just test people prior to allowing this kind of travel....why not quarantine people carrying respiratory transmissible diseases from traveling? With folks just zipping across oceans, people really have no concept of how fast respiratory disease can spread!

Imagine if you were on those flights how you would feel right now...all because some one with no morals decided they had a 'compelling reason' to travel and expose hundreds of people to a high mortality disease. I am disgusted.