In one of the more stranger reasons I’ve ever hear for not letting passengers disembark an aircraft after a flight, a Delta flight tonight had its passengers quarantined due to the threat of Monkeypox.

Flight 3163, a short hop between Detroit and Chicago Midway was quarantined upon arrival at midway until officials from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) were able to inspect the airplane and passengers and clear it. When the aircraft arrived at Midway, it was met with officers in Hazmat Suits who boarded the plane to examine the “suspect”. Apparently a passenger had complained about having a rash after a recent trip to Africa. A family member had thought that the rash could be Monkeypox (I’ve never heard of that either!). The officers examined the passenger in question and had forwarded pictures of the rash to the CDC for review before letting passengers leave.

According to the CDC, Monkeypox has similar characteristics to smallpox, but just not as severe. After reviewing the symptoms and pictures of the rash, they deemed the passenger and aircraft safe and allowed passengers to leave.

How would you like to have been a passenger on board? You take a fairly benign 30 minute “hop” on a regional aircraft, only to be met with emergency personnel who storm your plane dressed in Hazmat Suits with the suspicion of an infectious disease being on board….yikes!