Bird flu: N. Zealand quarantines S. Korean plane with crew, passengers
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
New Zealand health authorities briefly quarantined 223 people in a Korean Airlines plane at Auckland Airport on Tuesday after a South Korean passenger displayed possible bird flu symptoms, officials said.
The woman was later deemed to be "no risk" and suffering from suspected gastroenteritis, airport police Inspector Richard Middleton said, congratulating the flight crew for notifying authorities about the potential problem.
Crew on the flight, from South Korea via Australia, alerted airport authorities when the woman began vomiting and showing other possible bird flu symptoms, sparking a lockdown on the tarmac as the plane landed, said Norman Upjon, an ambulance duty manager.
The 223 people aboard the Boeing 747 were held for about an hour under "full quarantine procedure" while a paramedic in protective clothing examined the woman, Upjohn said.