TB patient causes transatlantic airline infection probe

A TUBERCULOSIS patient under the first US federal quarantine since 1963 left an Atlanta hospital yesterday and arrived at a Denver facility that specialises in respiratory disorders, officials said.

It comes as a search gets under way throughout Europe for airline passengers who were seated close to the man, who has drug-resistant TB known as XDR TB.

Last night hospital officials identified him as personal injury lawyer Andrew Speaker. He flew from Atlanta to Europe in mid-May for his wedding and honeymoon, but then learned he had the XDR strain, which is considered especially dangerous. He took four shorter flights within Europe and, despite medical advice not to board another long flight, returned to the US for treatment.

Yesterday, the 31-year-old walked into the Denver building wearing a mask at 8am and said he felt fine, Denver National Jewish Hospital spokesman William Allstetter said.

Health officials in North America and Europe are trying to track down about 80 passengers who sat near him on the two transatlantic flights, and they want passenger lists from four shorter flights the man took while in Europe.

He left Atlanta on May 12, arriving in Paris on May 13. He flew to Athens the next day.

On May 16 he flew Athens to Santorini, Greece. On May 21 he flew from Mykonos to Athens and then from Athens to Rome.

On May 24 he flew from Rome to Prague. The same day he flew to Montreal, Canada.

He drove from Montreal to New York, where authorities tracked him down.