Indeed, at a time when airplanes are often packed to capacity with travelers from around the world, it\'s no wonder that travelers start to worry about their exposure to germs and disease. With headlines warning of bird flu and cruise-ship outbreaks, passengers are more nervous than ever about who -- and what -- is really sharing their seat space.
But surprisingly, travel health experts say airplanes typically don\'t pose any bigger health or germ exposure risk than any other public place. The best advice to stay healthy while flying: wash hands often and drink lots of bottled water. Here are answers to some common questions about the health risks of travel and what airlines are doing to battle germs on board.
Q: Can I catch an illness from the passenger sitting next to me or from germs left by a sick passenger on the flight before me?
A: Travelers can catch an illness just from being on a plane, but it\'s not likely, says Dr. Marlene Zuk, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California-Riverside who studies the interaction between diseases and their hosts. \'They\'re more likely to catch something at work because they\'re coming in closer contact with their coworkers.\' And, just sitting in a seat that an ill person has been in isn\'t likely to get you sick. The human body is constantly bombarded with microbes, Dr. Zuk says, most of which the immune system fights off.
There is a risk to having spray particles land on you (such as from a sneeze), since they can enter your body if you wipe that area of your skin on your nose or eyes. Respiratory droplets can\'t penetrate your skin, though, Dr. Zuk says. Experts recommend carrying hand gels to clean your hands in case you can\'t use the restroom. If you\'re sitting next to someone who\'s sick, you can ask to be reseated. Several airlines say that if there\'s a seat available, they will reseat passengers upon request.
Q: How often do airlines clean their planes? What about pillows and blankets?
A: For the most part, only surface cleaning is done at the gate. American Airlines says that different work is done depending on the mileage flown and the ground time available, but that it mostly involves picking up trash, folding blankets and replenishing provisions. British Airways says that it cleans its seats, replaces the headrests and vacuums the floors, in addition to other measures after every flight. Northwest Airlines says its aircraft undergo an additional cleaning every night, which includes vacuuming, cleaning windows and wiping down bins and other surfaces.
Deep-cleaning -- a more intensive process that can include scrubbing the seats, cleaning the air vents and changing upholstery -- is done on a schedule that varies from airline to airline. In recent years, some airlines have lengthened their intervals. JetBlue Airways\' deep-cleaning cycle is now every 30 days, which has been the industry standard; JetBlue\'s schedule used to be every 10 days. Austrian Airlines\' intensive cleaning is every 90 days. US Airways\' cycle is every 30 days.
Pillows and blankets can go just as long without being washed. ATA Airlines, which says that its deep-cleaning cycle is every 30 days, also says that blankets are cleaned every 30 days and as needed. US Airways says that its blankets are washed at least every five days regardless of condition. American replaces its pillow cases during its overnight cleaning and removes soiled or damaged blankets. One way to ensure that you\'re getting a clean blanket is to snare one that is wrapped in plastic: Most airlines say that means the blanket is either new or freshly washed. As for headphones, most airlines say they distribute only new ones. Again, though, the experts say the only significant risk with blankets is if they\'re soiled and if the germs enter your body.
Q: Is the water from the taps on planes safe?
A: In 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency tested the drinking water on 158 randomly selected passenger planes and found that 20 (12.7%) tested positive for total coliform bacteria. Since then multiple airlines aGREed to improve the testing and disinfection. Still, the water from the tap in airplane bathrooms is effective for washing your hands but not intended for drinking, says Dr. Christie Reed, travelers\' health team lead at the Centers for Disease Control. Airlines typically use bottled water for their beverage service, although those supplies have been known to run out.
Q: Is the air on airplanes safe?
A: Travelers worry about airplane air because it\'s often dry, because the environment is usually cramped, and because it seems that the germs released by passengers\' coughs and sneezes have nowhere to go. But the air on planes is better than in most home and office environments, experts say, since it changes much more frequently. On most commercial planes, at least half of the air comes from outside the aircraft and passes through a high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filter which removes contaminants
译文：
在美利坚航空公司(American Airlines)上周从纽约飞往西雅图的一个航班上，吉姆•苏利文(Jim Sullivan)看见服务人员准备发放食物了，于是他拿来一瓶清洁剂开始擦拭面前的餐托。苏利文说，他认识的一个机组人员告诉他这些东西很脏。
的确，如今的飞机常常满员搭载着世界各地的乘客来往于各大城市，这也不由得让乘客们开始担心病菌和疾病会使他们身处险境。再加上媒体频频对禽流感和游轮上爆发传染病的危险发出警告，这就使得搭乘飞机的乘客比以往任何时候都神经紧张，他们想知道究竟是谁，或者是什么东西与他们同席而坐。
但旅行健康专家们却出人意料地指出，通常情况下与其他公共场所相比，飞机引发健康问题的可能性或是染病风险不会更大。乘坐飞机时保持健康的诀窍在于：勤洗手和多喝瓶装水。以下是健康专家就飞行时存在哪些健康隐患以及航空公司正在做何应对等常见问题所作的回答。
问：如果我身旁的旅客或是上回坐在这个位置的旅客是一名患者，那我会被传染吗？
答：加利福尼亚大学(University of California)里弗赛德分校的进化生物学家马琳•祖克(Marlene Zuk)博士目前从事疾病与宿主间的传染问题研究，她认为乘客有可能仅仅因为乘机而患病，但可能性不大。她说人们在工作时被传染的几率更大，因为他们与同事间的接触要更密切。另外，只是和病人坐过同样的位置不大可能使你传染。祖克博士说，人体时常会受到细菌侵扰，但人体自身的免疫系统会将大部分细菌击退。
此外，飞沫有可能溅到你身上（如有人打喷嚏），而如果你正好用这块地方擦鼻子或是揉眼睛的话，细菌就会侵入你体内。但祖克博士说飞沫无法穿透人体皮肤。专家建议携带洗手液以防卫生间不能使用。而如果乘机时旁边是一位患者，你可以要求机组人员重新安排座位。有几家航空公司都表示如果机舱里有空余座位，那么当乘客要求更换座位时他们都会同意。
问：航空公司多久清洗一次飞机？枕头和毯子呢？
答：多数情况下它们只清洗舱门表面。美利坚航空公司称，依飞机飞行的里程数和地面停留时间不同，所做清洁工作也有差异，但就它而言多数情况下都是拾拾垃圾、叠叠毯子再就是补给机上供应。英国航空公司(British Airways)则表示每次飞行后都会清理座位、更换头靠以及用吸尘器打扫地面等等。西北航空公司(Northwest Airlines)也表示每晚都会对飞机进行一次额外清洗，其中包括吸尘、擦拭窗户、储物柜及其他表面。
然而各航空公司对擦洗座位、清洗通风口以及更换舱内装饰物等深度清洁工作的安排却有所不同。近几年来一些航空公司延长了每一次深度清洁的间隔时间。JetBlue Airways目前是每30天进行一次深度清洁工作，虽然这也符合相关行业标准，但该公司此前的深度清洁周期是10天。此外，奥地利航空(Austrian Airlines)和US Airways的深度清洁周期分别为90天和30天。
枕头和毯子的清洗周期也能达到如此之长。ATA Airlines表示它每隔30天对飞机进行一次深度清洁，毯子的清洗周期同样是30天或根据需要而定。US Airways则说它至少每五天就要对毯子进行清洗，不管它们脏不脏。美利坚航空公司每晚都要更换枕套，而如果发现有弄脏或是破损的毯子他们会换成新的。有一个方法可以确保你拿到的毯子是干净的：索要那种用塑料袋包着的毯子。多数航空公司都表示这样的毯子要么是新的，要么是刚洗过的。至于耳机，大多航空公司都表示他们只发放新的耳机。健康专家指出，毯子存在的唯一重大隐患就是它受到污染后有细菌侵入你体内。
问：飞机上的自来水安全吗？
答：2004年时环境保护署(Environmental Protection Agency)曾随机抽取了158架客机上的饮用水进行调查，结果发现20架客机（占12.7%）上的饮用水大肠菌测试呈阳性。自那以后多家航空公司都同意改善测试及消毒工作。尽管如此疾病控制中心(Centers for Disease Control) 健康团队负责人克里斯蒂•瑞德(Christie Reed)还是指出，机上卫生间里的自来水只适合洗手，而不适合饮用。通常情况下，机组人员会向乘客提供瓶装水，但这样的服务十分有限。
问：飞机上的空气安全吗？
答：旅客会担心机舱内的空气质量，因为那里不仅干燥、空间有限，而且人们咳嗽、打喷嚏时跑出来的细菌似乎也无处可去。但专家指出，其实飞机里的空气质量比多数家庭环境和办公环境都要好，因为它具有更好的流动性。在多数商用飞机上，至少有一半空气是来自于飞机外部，而且都经过了一种高效空气净化装置的过滤。
