Several passengers fell ill suddenly on a Quantas flight from Chile to Australia on Thursday. More than 20 passengers had to be treated by paramedics and placed in quarantine when the plane landed in Sydney.
The passengers that fell ill were part of the same tour group before they got onto the 14-hour flight from Santiago. It is believed they contracted the gastro intestinal illness before they boarded, the Star Tribune reports.
One the flight landed at Sydney airport, the Boeing 747 was met by paramedics who treated the passengers in quarantine.
According to the New South Wales state Health Ministry, 26 passengers started vomiting and had diarrhea, so it is believed that they came down with norovirus. Norvirus is a common travel illness found in Australia and other parts of the world.
All of the sick passengers were Australian residents. They were assessed by paramedics and were then escorted through the airport when they were well enough to avoid contact with other passengers.
It is not clear at what point in the flight the passengers became sick. However the airline said it didn't cause an emergency that would lead the flight to being diverted.
"They've known for some time in the air that sickness was aboard so they were able to call through and organize for the appropriate authorities to greet the aircraft at the arrival, and those passengers were quarantined," Qantas spokesman Luke Enright said.
The sick passengers were moved to seats in the back of the plane so they could easily access the four toilets on board. It is not clear if they were moved by the cabin crew or if they voluntarily moved.
Other passengers on board the flight were advised to stay aware of their health over the next few days and to seek medical help if they started to feel sick.
It isn't clear how many people were on the flight, but there was an estimated 300.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
