Airports, localities and disease: representations of global travel during the H1N1 pandemic.
During summer 2009, the UK experienced one of the highest incidences of H1N1 infection outside of the Americas and Australia. Building on existing research into biosecurity and the spread of infectious disease via the global airline network, this paper explores the biopolitics of public health in the UK through an in-depth empirical analysis of the representation of H1N1 in UK national and regional newspapers. We uncover new discourses relating to the significance of the airport as a site for control and the ethics of the treatment of the traveller as a potential transmitter of disease. We conclude by highlighting how the global spread of infectious diseases is grounded in particular localities associated with distinctive notions of biosecurity and the traveller.
Warren
Adam
A
Department of Geography, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE113TU, UK. a.p.warren@lboro.ac.uk
Bell
Morag
M
Budd
Lucy
L
D001294:Attitude to Health; D001359:Aviation / Q000941:ethics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000941:ethics / Q000517:prevention & control; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D018156:Journalism, Medical; D008402:Mass Media; D009524:Newspapers as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011057:Politics; D015980:Public Health Practice / Q000941:ethics; D017751:Safety Management / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods; D014195:Travel / Q000941:ethics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology