Twelve passengers arriving at Philadelphia International Airport on two separate American Airlines flights were temporarily quarantined after showing flu-like symptoms, Customs and Border Protection officials said.
Several of the sick passengers were returning from pilgrimages to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on American Airlines flight 755, which originated in Paris. These travelers exhibited similar symptoms to the 19 passengers, also travelling from Mecca, who were quarantined in New York Wednesday morning, according to customs officials.
Additional passengers Philadelphia-bound American Airlines flight 717 from Munich, Germany, also showed flu-like symptoms. They, too, were returning from Mecca.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined and released most of the Philadelphia-bound passengers and crew, customs officials said. Several people are still being medically evaluated by the CDC and local health officials, according to CBP.
