Tuberculosis and Air Travel: Guidelines for Prevention and Control (Third Edition)

The transmission of airborne infections between people in confined spaces such as aircraft cabins is of particular concern to health officials and the general public. The revision of the International Health Regulations (IHR), which entered into force in June 2007, provides for the introduction of new measures that might potentially apply to international events involving TB. The IHR provide a legal framework for a more effective and coordinated international response to public health emergencies and risks, including those caused by outbreaks of communicable diseases. Several IHR provisions are relevant to the detection and control of TB during air travel, strengthening the role of WHO and of national public health authorities in this domain. Following these important recent developments, WHO has prepared this third edition to address current public health risks that may arise from