Swine flu travel responses seen undermining message

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The global public health campaign to convey a realistic view of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic is being undermined by a babble of contradictory reactions at international airports, experts said on Friday.

Air travelers are confronted by a host of inconsistent H1N1 messages and approaches as they travel between countries. Authorities at some airports quarantine suspected flu cases, while others dispense with posting even the most basic health information for passengers.

Some high-profile measures, like subjecting air passengers to thermal screening, also seem to be driven more by politics than medical science and could divert essential funding and manpower from more effective actions, they said.

"This does cause confusion in the mind of the public, because they're getting different messages from all over," said Dr Tony Evans, medical chief at the U.N.'s International Civil Aviation Organization.

"It undermines the public health message. It causes confusion and then the really good stuff, the important stuff, is undermined," he told a meeting on airlines, airports and disease transmission sponsored by the independent U.S. National Research Council.

Public health officials, who expect to begin distributing a swine flu vaccine soon, have recommended hand-washing to prevent the spread of infection and asked people not to travel or report to work if they feel sick.

Aviation's role in spreading infectious diseases has been of growing concern for public health officials. H1N1 has continued to spread globally since it emerged in March in North America.

Air travel can accelerate the spread of infectious disease around the globe. But health officials say travel restrictions are of little or no use.