Comments on: TB Patient: Quarantine Conditions "Insane"

Feds Frantically Search For 80 Passengers, 27 Crew On Flights With Infected Man

[cdfoxtrot]

This jerk is pretty arrogant to assume that Italy's health system is not up to his standards. And putting all those people at risk. What an a**hole. He was scheming enough to fly to Canada rather than attempt to get to the US directly, so he knew what he was doing. If the so-called authorities are unable or unwilling to act, I hope he gets sued by a bunch of those potential innocent victims from the plane ride. Also, what about all the other people he must have been in contact with, in restaurants, hotels, car rental places, etc. during his vacation while he was in his infectious state??

[erasmus6]

"Something about this story doesn't add up. He was on his honeymoon?? Why is his wife consorting with him? Is she nuts?" posted by MinMinMIn

I hate to tell you this but the world is full of stupid people. The stupid doctor who ADVISED him not to travel, the stupid person who thinks he is "well-educated, successful and intelligent", yet puts everyones lives as well as his new wife's life at risk, and the stupid wife for marrying him. And then of course there are the ones that should have put him in custody so he wouldn't fly back ....

Ok, I can't believe I am going to say this: I have posted many times about what I think of you Americans carring guns, but what the h-e-l-l, you should be able to use them at least once right? Shoot the b***ard!

[munroe9-2009]

I agree with you, toldyouso - that this guy put his personal wedding not only above the risks to everyone else, but think about how much he has cost the US govt and all the other countries, and the airlines! I think he should donate considerable money to a TB charity and apologize!!! We live in a society of people and we need to think of others.

What kind of moron disobeys an order to turn yourself into the authorities??? I think he should be prosecuted for that, frankly.

[blondmadison]

Maybe I am missing something...health care in the U.S. is expensive even WITH insurance--why would ANYONE want to SNEAK here for health care?

He sounds a little twisted to me and he acts like a nut too--"sneaking"? So he can be treated like the medical community as well the pharmeceuticals treat people here in America? Oh My Gawd!! LOL!!

I wonder how many folks this nut infected SNEAKing his way back to AmeDica!!! Glad I missed his journey.

[toldyouso21]

I'm a very well-educated, successful, intelligent person," he told the paper. "This is insane to me that I have an armed guard outside my door when I've cooperated with everything other than the whole solitary-confinement-in-Italy thing."


What a self centered prick. I hope the man has internet access and can see this blog. Americans need to learn that the worship of money and success does not guarantee anything--not that you will live, or be righteous or will be a decent person.

Decent people do not willingly and knowingly put others at risk. Decent people know WHY they have an armed guard outside their door after they ignored the " whole solitary-confinement-in-Italy thing." and they welcome the reassurance such a measure will give the public.

This man is not so intelligent or he would have known he should not fly or endanger others--as for his other attributes--successfulness, being a businessman or even intelligence has never, ever stopped the spread of disease or a bullet. Face it mr. selfish prickkkkk you are not superman and we are not impressed with YOUR needs being placed above hundreds if not thousands of other human beings. I bet some are rooting that this strain STAYS resistant and he croaks-- maybe even think: good riddance to such an ***.

[toldyouso21]

This is why contagious diseases and the control of such can never be left up to individuals--(like AIDS was) too self centered and ignorant to curtail their own actions to protect the rest of society.


I don't know why this man is not being charged. The fact he intended to fly after being told of his condition and even practiced stealth to end up back in the US is sickening. He really should have kept his mouth shut.

This man should have to pay for his treatment and reimburse all the countries for the legwork that must now be done to clean up his mess--especially from the point in Rome--where he was told to keep his azz there to be treated and NOT to fly--because it would endanger others.

[ioweign]

"I'm a very well-educated, successful, intelligent person. This is insane to me that I have an armed guard outside my door when I've cooperated with everything other than the whole solitary-confinement-in-Italy thing."
You betcha!!
Is this guy's last name Bush by any chance?

[toldyouso21]

Think about this:

A plane is almost a completely closed air system. Meaning there is no new or continual supply of fresh Oxygen and that what is available is pushed around and recirculated throughout all of the cabin space at certain altitudes. This means that not only are the people near him at risk, the entire plane is at risk unless parts had hermetically sealed doors and separate air systems.

The CDC wants to test those people near him to establish a base line for the virulence of the contagion and effectivity of the mode of transmission. If any come back positive for TB--then they will need to test the entire plane--but here is the clincher--they can't test all the people he came in contact with in Europe, Canada or even in America. His neighbors, coworkers, etc also need to be tested. If this form is resistant--it is not as if he was only contagious on the plane and in Europe--it means he was contagious all along--and of course, the person most at risk was/is his new wife. Now, if cases of resistant TB are now reported in Greece, France, Rome, Canada and where ever else this little "Thyphoid Mary" happened to have traveled--what then? And what of each person who came in contact with him who may or may not be able to be contacted by the CDC or WHO?

[grannyjp]

I bet this moron never listened to his parents or any other authority figure when he was a kid either.

I hope they throw his sorry *** in jail.

[toldyouso21]

"The man told the Journal-Constitution the CDC contacted him in Rome during his honeymoon, telling him that he had to turn himself in to Italian authorities to be isolated and be treated. The CDC told him he couldn't fly aboard commercial airliners. "
if this part is true--then the man should be jailed. He may not have known he had a very virulent/resistant form when he flew out (it was still being evaluated by the CDC--but he knew it in Rome and yet he still exposed people to it in order to return to America. He should face charges or at the very least be subject to numerous law suits by the passengers--because to fly out of Rome and return to America instead of turning himself in as he was told to do--means he wilfully and knowingly put every single passenger at risk.

[toldyouso21]

There was an eboli scare about 6 years ago in the African continent and countries were closing their borders causing the infected people transmit stronger exposure levels to others while waiting in crowds. Posted by Pensacola8 at 11:43 AM : May 30, 2007

OK. I am a Scientist (microbiologist) and you are full of it. The facts are, that exposure to viruses or bacteria (TB is a bacteria) is not lessened by allowing dissemination into the population. Etiology of any disease has to do with how it is transmitted and how virulent it is. as for antibiotics and exposure, the fact is, that any exposure to a virus or bacteria will cause the body to remember and produce antibodies--BUT exposure to a resistant strain will simply mean that a wild variant (not an attenuated virus or weakened pathogen) can literally run through a population. Resistant strains of a bacteria occur when bacteria are exposed to enough antibiotics to get used to the drug, but not enough to kill it. Over time, it becomes immune. This is usually caused by people NOT finishing a Rx and carrying a low level infection that eventually develops immunity to certain families of drugs. The people in Africa that died, did so not because the borders were closed (it had over an 80% mortality rate) but because the mode of transmission and the fact people were contaminating drinking wells and were allowed to leave the hospitals spread it)

[mtredhawk200]

What a creep! Obviously he didn't tell his bride. That's attempted murder. As for Constitutionality, doesn't someone else's freedom end where my nose begins? If the other passengers AGREED to be exposed to a fatal incurable disease, there might be an argument for personal rights. They didn't have a choice. To be exposed to something like that because of a selfish, immature, irresponsible.....who KNEW what he was doing was wrong (or he wouldn't have been sneaking)is inexcusable and should be punished to the fullest.

[toldyouso21]

"Dr. Steven Katkowsky, director of the Fulton County Department of Health & Wellness, said the man was told traveling was not advised. "

How stupid. Why not make it very clear next time as in: You cannot travel or even be around other people--stay in your home and if you do not obey these rules, you will be placed in isolation or jailed. THAT would have been clear.

Not advised. Advice is something people feel an option to take or ignore--this should not been advised--this should have been ORDERED.

And doctors make me sick. When they say "prognosis is very poor" or the patient is not going to survive or live--what is so hard about saying "YOU ARE DYING?" if it is true--it is an eye opener, if by some miracle it does not come to pass--then it is a miracle--but this skirting and parsing to appear politically correct is **********. And it is amnesty Mr. Bush--anything that excuses or rewards illegal activity in any way, is amnesty. Stop trying to pretend it isn't and just tell us you want us to suck it up and support amnesty--because spin or not--THAT is what it is.

[dnamj]

1. If you know you have a contagious disease (which TB is), don't get on the damned plane.

2. When the authorities tell you not to fly, and you do anyway, and then deliberately evade the authorities by sneaking in through Canada, expect to get in trouble when you turn yourself in.

3. You can't cure your own disease, if you have XDR TB, you rely on the system, however flawed that is, and that means following the rules.

4. If you happen to get sick in Europe, stay there. You will save money, and they might actually cure you.

[opedanderson]

I agree with you Pensacola8, but the point here is that he received specific instructions from the CDC which he refused to follow. And he put other people from other countries at risk for his own selfish desires.

Sound familiar?

It's America's foreign policy in a nutshell!

[bobnjersey]

[As usual, the governemnt blew it by acting too heavily handed adn not following the constitution. ]
[Posted by glb1969 at 10:34 AM : May 30, 2007]

the constitution has a clause for tb? where can i find that?

i'm a huge first and fourth amendment guy ... but this guy was reckless in his behaviour ... and at a minimum the situation should be used as an example of what NOT to do in his circumstances.

i hope he gets better ... but if anyone suffers from the tb ... it should be him!

[guy011-2009]

The doctors advised him not to fly and he did so anyway. Why did the doctors need to "order" him to not expose others? This joker should be locked up in a jail. He exposed others on purpose. That is a criminal act, similar to biting somebody on purpose when one has AIDS.

[tejasdemo]

so much for Republicans being tough on security. you cant keep one dude out of the country that you had targeted already. knew where he was...who he was...etc etc.

What a bunch of clowns

[pensacola8-2009]

I wouldn't over-react. 14,000 in this country have TB. Most of us who travel have caught harmless viruses and diseases without knowing it. Many actually boost our imune systems. An immune system with no work to do, gets dormant and ineffective. Some drugs actually work better for us who have been sick and have immune systems with recent experience, because they augment our immune system, instead of directly fighting the virus or bacteria. There was an eboli scare about 6 years ago in the African continent and countries were closing their borders causing the infected people transmit stronger exposure levels to others while waiting in crowds. Had the borders been open, the exposure levels would have been harmless. TV and Hollywood pandemic films are a poor source of education for public health. The public immunity equilibreum is a collection of germs and viruses from the population, not just one person.

[opedanderson]

It's just another example of the Ugly American thinking he can do whatever he pleases. Why not? His country does the same thing everyday. It doesnt matter who he hurts, who he puts at risk just as long as America gets what it wants!!

I live only 2 miles from the airport in Montreal where this guy landed. Good Job!

I hope he chokes on a Big Mac!