Frontier Expands Search For Passengers After Ebola-Infected Nurse's Flight
— -- Frontier Airlines has expanded to five different flights the search for passengers who flew on the same plane as an Ebola-infected nurse from Dallas.
The airline announced that it was reaching out to additional passengers who traveled on the same plane as Amber Vinson. On Wednesday the airline and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced they were looking to contact 132 passengers who traveled on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 with Vinson.
Frontier Airlines did not say how many passengers they are now looking to contact, who traveled on the plane during five commercial flights after Vinson's flight.
They also said the plane was out of service as they replace seat covers and carpet in the middle of the aircraft, where Vinson was sitting.
Vinson, 29, was infected with Ebola after treating Thomas Eric Duncan earlier this month. She was isolated and diagnosed with Ebola on October 14.
A day before being diagnosed, Vinson flew on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas. The plane was cleaned after Vinson’s flight.
The following day the plane was used for at least five different commercial flights, including a return trip to Cleveland, where it was cleaned again.
Frontier Airlines has not clarified why they are reaching out to passengers and did not provide specifics to ABC News.
The plane is scheduled to return to service in the next several days.
Before flying from Cleveland, Vinson had reportedly called U.S. Centers for Disease Control personnel to report she had an elevated temperature of 99.5. The temperature was below the 100.4 reading that would designate a fever. She was not told that she could not fly on a commercial airliner.
She arrived at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital the following day with a fever.
