According to recent research international rules according to which anyone who is a potentially infectious tuberculosis patients is barred from flying are too strict.

Researcher Dr Ibrahim Abubakar said global and U. S. health authorities at time go over board and advise conducting a test of crew and passengers when an infected flier is found.

A paper that reported these findings mentioned a case of a TB-infected airline passenger called Andrew Speaker who is a Georgia lawyer. He had a drug-resistant form of TB and ignoring government advice he flew back and forth from Europe in 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that several passengers who traveled with him were not found to have TB.

According to Abubakar testing was not needed until there was an evidence stating that an infected passenger was infecting others. He added that people who have TB and have been taking medicine for two weeks could fly commercially.

Abubakar said, "The consequences are greater if a fellow passenger is infected with drug-resistant TB.”

US health officials are strict on testing people for TB because it was important to take steps in eliminating the disease.