Questions and Answers about Zika for the Airline Industry and Partners

The risk of a person being infected with Zika during air travel is very low because few adult mosquitoes are found on board commercial flights. To date, there have been no documented cases of a person being infected with Zika during commercial air travel.

No. There are no travel restrictions for people who may have Zika. Air crew should keep in mind that sick travelers from countries with Zika could have other infectious diseases and follow routine infection control precautions.

Airline staff should follow normal procedures for reporting in-flight illnesses according to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations [42 CFR 70.11 and 71.21]. Updated CDC regulations do not affect, nor is CDC is requesting from airlines, any additional reporting of sick travelers who may have Zika.

State and territorial health departments report probable and confirmed cases of Zika in their jurisdictions to CDC as part of domestic surveillance.

No. CDC does not require or recommend disinsection of aircraft from areas with Zika. For more information visit the Zika vector control page.

No. CDC does not conduct disinsection, provide certificates of disinsection, or have access to a list of disinsection contractors or services.

Airlines should follow guidance from countries that require disinsection regarding the required delivery method and frequency. The aircraft captain should provide the ICAO General Aircraft Declaration to authorities at destination to declare that disinsection has been completed. Some countries may require that their own staff conduct disinsection.