[SamAdams76]

How would they be able to determine whether or not somebody on the plane had smallpox? There are no visible symptoms in the early stages.

[southriver4]

give them all a blood test?

[freeasinbeer]

Exactly. If they are serious about searching the people on that plane for the virus, they will need to quorantine them for quite some time.

[Dog]

Good question Sam......good question..

[Poohbah]

Interesting. If no one is presenting symptoms, how would the caller know? As for how we'd find out, the MDs would probably test for smallpox antibodies...

[Diddle E. Squat]

Flight from Taiwan, eh? Didn't they just elect a govt that is leaning even further from reconciliation with the mainland? Odds are this is a hoax, but perhaps a subtle threat from Bubba's top fundraiser.

[Dark Wing]

Saliva tests.

Small pox shows up in the saliva before it appears as pox. This is how people who are recently vaccinated can pass it on to unvaccinated relatives. You get close to spouses and other relatives, then breath each other's breath.

This is also why recirculated air on airplanes is such a danger for spreading the pox.

[Nita Nupress]

How would they be able to determine whether or not somebody on the plane had smallpox? There are no visible symptoms in the early stages.

This information on diagnostic procedures for smallpox may help. I'm not sure how they're going to handle this from a public health standpoint because it'll be like walking a tightrope: They won't want to panic everyone, but they can't afford not to take it seriously, either. It'll be interesting to watch.

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic885.htm

Lab Studies:

• Perform a viral swab of the pharynx on patients in whom smallpox is suggested or swab a freshly opened pustule, if available. Otherwise, use a scalpel to open a lesion and obtain a culture.

• Isolation of the variola virus should be undertaken only in a laboratory with Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) capabilities. The only laboratories in the United States with these capabilities at this time are at the CDC in Atlanta, GA, and the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) in Ft Detrick, MD.

• Send them in a Vacutainer tube with the rubber stopper taped. Double seal it and inform the receiving lab and courier of the potential biohazard. Prior to collection of samples or shipment, CDC or USAMRIID should be consulted directly, as should local public health authorities. In addition to individual state laws concerning highly infectious agents, specific federal laws apply to the shipping of such pathogens across state lines.

• Once in a lab, viral cultures, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and/or enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay may be undertaken.

• The prior criterion standard was the chorioallantoic egg membrane culture.

Imaging Studies:

• No imaging studies assist in making the diagnosis of variola infection.

Other Tests:

• PCR may be used to make definitive laboratory diagnosis.

Procedures:

• Include a lumbar puncture in the workup of a hemorrhagic variola to exclude meningococcemia.

[Mia T]

That's correct. Does anyone know if blood will test positive during the incubation period? If not, those passenger will have to be quarantined for the entire quarantine period.

[horsewhispersc]

You would have to have them quarantined for at least 10 days I believe.

[TomB]

How would they be able to determine whether or not somebody on the plane had smallpox? There are no visible symptoms in the early stages.

Incubation period is 7-17 days, followed by a fever spike and incapacitating muscle aches, after 2-3 days the rash starts to form. ONLY THEN is smallpox contagious.