In a startling and uncomfortable revelation, Meghan Reinertsen, a nanny and aspiring actress, recently shared that a United Airlines flight was cancelled after she experienced what she described as the “worst diarrhea ever” mid-air. She told over 20 million viewers that she was returning to the U.S. from Portugal for a film premiere when sudden, violent gastrointestinal symptoms overtook her. Cause, risks and airline limitsReinertsen believes her ordeal stemmed from food poisoning after eating an undercooked hamburger the prior evening in Portugal. While food poisoning is seldom life-threatening, its symptoms, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, can be severe and debilitating. Airline crews must weigh passenger safety, aircraft hygiene, and contagion risks when responding to such extreme medical events in flight.