MSC Cruises uses infrared cameras to nab flu carriers

The Italian cruise line MSC Cruises is ultra serious about keeping the H1N1 swine flu virus off its ships.

The cruise line says it will screen all boarding passengers, using thermal-imaging cameras. Within seconds, the cameras produce infrared images of a person’s body, detecting higher-than-normal body temperatures, MSC said.

“An infrared camera is a very effective yet nonintrusive tool for detecting people infected with a viral disease even at a very early stage,” MSC said in a statement.

The Italian cruise line said it will have thermal-imaging cameras at the embarkation points of every one of its 11 ships, enabling its medical staff to monitor the temperature of every embarking passenger.

Many in the medical community are bracing for a widely anticipated second outbreak of swine flu this fall. Most cruise lines are conducting some sort of flu screening at embarkation, such as requiring passengers to complete health-related questionnaires — and mandatory secondary screening of passengers with flu-like symptoms.