A United Airlines plane that landed in Texas has been removed from service when several passengers aboard a recent flight suddenly fell ill with flu-like symptoms.
Emergency responders met the plane as it landed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The Houston Fire Department was called to the scene at 6:20 p.m. Friday, according to the Daily Mail.
A total of 163 passengers were on the Boeing 737 Max that set out from Vancouver, British Columbia on Friday. Approximately 25 people traveling in a group of 75 had nausea, according to Capt. Sedrick Robinett of the Houston Fire Department. HFD evaluated three passengers upon arrival but none were transported to the hospital, he said.
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“Several passengers who had been on the same cruise and did not feel well were on United Flight 1528 from Vancouver to Houston Friday night,” United told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. The airline did not answer a question about what cruise line or ship the flyers had been traveling on before their flight.
“United Airlines is actively coordinating with health authorities to address the situation,” the airline’s statement continued. “As a precautionary measure, the aircraft will be removed from service and go through a deep cleaning before returning to service. Ensuring the health and safety of our passengers and crew remains our top priority.”
The Houston Health Department referred a request for comment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Public health officers from CDC’s Houston Port Health Station worked with EMS to evaluate ill passengers on board,” a CDC spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Most of the ill passengers reported mild GI symptoms. No passengers were noted to have a fever during the flight or upon public health assessment at landing. No passengers met CDC criteria for further public health follow-up. Passengers from the flight continued with their travel plans.”
— USA TODAY reporter Nathan Diller contributed to this report.