Narrative:

Passenger became ill, coughing up blood. Airlines did not report this to anyone despite my asking them to and to notify crew and passenger. Shortly after this incident, I tested positive for tb. I was working a trip from paris to ZZZ. While on the taxiway, a woman 'coughed' up blood. One of my colleagues contacted the cockpit asking that we return to the gate -- which we did -- and paramedics removed the passenger (in paris). A cleaning crew came on board with a bucket and scrubbed the blood off the floor. I asked that the carpet be changed and it was denied (I assume due to crew legalities, or time slots). I also asked that the carpet be vacuumed and again was denied. No aerosols were used to eliminate any airborne contaminants. During the flight, I entered the cockpit since I had a concern about airborne contaminants -- primarily tb. While there, the captain informed the purser not to write on the general declaration that an illness had taken place on board. He told me that the company was not concerned that any of the crew members had been exposed. I protested this to the captain. If this were a serious illness, the company was putting us all at risk. He said that the company had made a decision and that was final. During our 12 hours or more on board the aircraft, I learned the passenger had hepatitis C, caused from a transfusion yrs back. I wasn't as concerned about the hepatitis since I used gloves, but was bothered by the fact that airborne contaminants were a potential. Upon landing, a supervisor met us with an information sheet on hepatitis. When I discussed the potential of tb or other airborne contaminants, she told me that the airline said that it wasn't a concern, and kept referring to the hepatitis. She told us that if we were concerned, we could go to our own physician. She concluded her conversation by stating that if later we became ill, that we should try to fight it and get workers' compensation. The company at the time maintained that we should have been ok, and that exposure to blood borne diseases was not possible provided that we took precautions (wore gloves, etc). My concern is the responsibility and safety of both the crew and passenger. My complaint is that the company acted negligently and put us all at risk, ignoring my concerns. They have been deceptive and continue to be. I had hoped that the airlines would have been more responsible. Unfortunately, middle and lower level management make decisions that are uneducated. When the decisions were made, no one really knew the hazards, yet many individuals who were not on site made a decision, a judgement call. Today I ask myself what the consequences are if this person was a carrier of a serious contagion and how many people may be ill because of the irresponsibility of the airlines? They took quite a gamble and put many of us at risk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON A B767, A PAX WAS COUGHING UP BLOOD JUST AFTER BLOCK DEP AT LFPG.

Narrative: PAX BECAME ILL, COUGHING UP BLOOD. AIRLINES DID NOT RPT THIS TO ANYONE DESPITE MY ASKING THEM TO AND TO NOTIFY CREW AND PAX. SHORTLY AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I TESTED POSITIVE FOR TB. I WAS WORKING A TRIP FROM PARIS TO ZZZ. WHILE ON THE TXWY, A WOMAN 'COUGHED' UP BLOOD. ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES CONTACTED THE COCKPIT ASKING THAT WE RETURN TO THE GATE -- WHICH WE DID -- AND PARAMEDICS REMOVED THE PAX (IN PARIS). A CLEANING CREW CAME ON BOARD WITH A BUCKET AND SCRUBBED THE BLOOD OFF THE FLOOR. I ASKED THAT THE CARPET BE CHANGED AND IT WAS DENIED (I ASSUME DUE TO CREW LEGALITIES, OR TIME SLOTS). I ALSO ASKED THAT THE CARPET BE VACUUMED AND AGAIN WAS DENIED. NO AEROSOLS WERE USED TO ELIMINATE ANY AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS. DURING THE FLT, I ENTERED THE COCKPIT SINCE I HAD A CONCERN ABOUT AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS -- PRIMARILY TB. WHILE THERE, THE CAPT INFORMED THE PURSER NOT TO WRITE ON THE GENERAL DECLARATION THAT AN ILLNESS HAD TAKEN PLACE ON BOARD. HE TOLD ME THAT THE COMPANY WAS NOT CONCERNED THAT ANY OF THE CREW MEMBERS HAD BEEN EXPOSED. I PROTESTED THIS TO THE CAPT. IF THIS WERE A SERIOUS ILLNESS, THE COMPANY WAS PUTTING US ALL AT RISK. HE SAID THAT THE COMPANY HAD MADE A DECISION AND THAT WAS FINAL. DURING OUR 12 HRS OR MORE ON BOARD THE ACFT, I LEARNED THE PAX HAD HEPATITIS C, CAUSED FROM A TRANSFUSION YRS BACK. I WASN'T AS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEPATITIS SINCE I USED GLOVES, BUT WAS BOTHERED BY THE FACT THAT AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS WERE A POTENTIAL. UPON LNDG, A SUPVR MET US WITH AN INFO SHEET ON HEPATITIS. WHEN I DISCUSSED THE POTENTIAL OF TB OR OTHER AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS, SHE TOLD ME THAT THE AIRLINE SAID THAT IT WASN'T A CONCERN, AND KEPT REFERRING TO THE HEPATITIS. SHE TOLD US THAT IF WE WERE CONCERNED, WE COULD GO TO OUR OWN PHYSICIAN. SHE CONCLUDED HER CONVERSATION BY STATING THAT IF LATER WE BECAME ILL, THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO FIGHT IT AND GET WORKERS' COMPENSATION. THE COMPANY AT THE TIME MAINTAINED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OK, AND THAT EXPOSURE TO BLOOD BORNE DISEASES WAS NOT POSSIBLE PROVIDED THAT WE TOOK PRECAUTIONS (WORE GLOVES, ETC). MY CONCERN IS THE RESPONSIBILITY AND SAFETY OF BOTH THE CREW AND PAX. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE COMPANY ACTED NEGLIGENTLY AND PUT US ALL AT RISK, IGNORING MY CONCERNS. THEY HAVE BEEN DECEPTIVE AND CONTINUE TO BE. I HAD HOPED THAT THE AIRLINES WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE RESPONSIBLE. UNFORTUNATELY, MIDDLE AND LOWER LEVEL MGMNT MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE UNEDUCATED. WHEN THE DECISIONS WERE MADE, NO ONE REALLY KNEW THE HAZARDS, YET MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE NOT ON SITE MADE A DECISION, A JUDGEMENT CALL. TODAY I ASK MYSELF WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE IF THIS PERSON WAS A CARRIER OF A SERIOUS CONTAGION AND HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY BE ILL BECAUSE OF THE IRRESPONSIBILITY OF THE AIRLINES? THEY TOOK QUITE A GAMBLE AND PUT MANY OF US AT RISK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.