Ill flyer sparks bird flu alert

Auckland International Airport put an international flight with hundreds of passengers into quarantine after a sick passenger sparked fears of a possible case of bird flu.

The airport said that crew on board the Korean airliner alerted ground staff, and about 220 passengers on the jet were quarantined by St John Ambulance staff.

A passenger was taken to hospital in a stable condition with suspected gastroenteritis.

Auckland medical officer of health Dr Andrew Lindsay said ambulance and public health authorities were alerted and the aircraft was quarantined until the passenger could be assessed. Passengers were assessed on the aircraft and advised to see a doctor at once if they became ill in the next couple of days.

An airport representative said the response by airport staff and medical professionals showed that they were ready and had an effective plan to handle any further alerts.

"We worked with everyone from public health and airport staff to initiate a plan that we had prepared for such an event. While it turned out the passenger had something else, it shows that we are prepared."

- NZPA