Infectious Disease
In October 2014, she participated in the investigation of the first imported case of Ebola virus disease in the U.S. The outbreak originated in West Africa and spread undetected for months, raising global concern about international transmission. Thomas Duncan, a Liberian national visiting family in Texas, traveled from Monrovia to Dallas/Fort Worth with no symptoms and was therefore not contagious during his journey. After developing fever and vomiting on September 24, he was hospitalized in a Texas hospital and died of Ebola on October 8, 2014. His diagnosis prompted an intensive public health investigation to identify and monitor anyone who might have been exposed, particularly healthcare workers and airline passengers.
Her assignment focused on investigating potential transmission from a healthcare provider who cared for Duncan to airline passengers after flying on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth. News of the healthcare provider testing positive spread rapidly across the nation, igniting widespread fear that Ebola might spread on U.S. soil. The fact that she had traveled on a flight with 132 passengers just one day before her symptoms began triggered alarm among travelers, the airline industry, and public health authorities. In that moment, the investigation shifted to a potential airborne travel-related crisis. Her task was to coordinate with Frontier Airlines, the Texas and Ohio health departments, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to identify and locate all passengers and crew members from the flight. She accessed airline manifest data through federal databases, verified and secured passenger contact details, and ensured confidentiality throughout the process. Working under intense pressure to prevent panic, she and her team were responsible for ensuring that 100% of travelers were found, assessed for risk, and placed under active monitoring in accordance with CDC protocols.
Working from the CDC’s Emergency Operations Center, which was activated at Level 1 (the highest response level), she helped implement contact tracing for all passengers on flight 1143. Within 48 hours, she and her team called each person on the flight manifest to conduct risk assessments, verify seating locations, and screen for symptoms. She guided passengers and crew through a 21-day monitoring period that included twice-daily temperature checks and immediate reporting of any symptoms, such as headaches, sore throats, or malaise. She triaged incoming hotline information, provided reassurance, and escalated relevant updates to CDC leadership through secure communication channels.
All 132 passengers and the Frontier Airlines crew were successfully located, and no secondary Ebola infections occurred among passengers, crew, or household contacts. The investigation concluded in early November 2014. The coordinated response demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid contact tracing, strict confidentiality practices, and clear communication with the public during an emerging infectious disease event.
The Frontier Airlines incident marked a turning point in the control of aviation-related infectious diseases. As a result of our efforts, airlines began coordinating directly with CDC quarantine stations for any suspected cases, and a new “Interim Guidance for Airlines” was issued. Flight crews received additional training in infection control, the use of personal protective equipment, and aircraft decontamination. These measures, along with new federal airport screening protocols and travel restrictions for passengers from West Africa, strengthened preparedness. Lessons from this investigation later informed the COVID-19 airport screening and airline health policies implemented years later.
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