From what I can gather, the hubbub is for two reasons: 1) XDR-TB is a great public health threat, and 2) This guy was an idiot for hopping on planes and travelling from place to place.

It seems that his case wasn't considered particularly infectious, as reported by Dr Martin Cetron, director of the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, so there's very little chance than anyone else on this honeymoon trip was infected. That's the good news for all those unwitting fellow passengers.

What worried authorities was this guy's blatantly selfish behavior that kept putting more people and more countries in potential jeopordy. Probably you don't hear about most other XDR-TB cases--well, except for Mr Daniels in Arizona--is because these people stay put, get treated, and don't put other people at risk. After doing a bit more reading, it seems that when Andrew Speaker was contacted in Rome that his TB was actually XDR-TB by the CDC, he was told that he could not fly and that he would be banned from flying. That's when he and his wife went on the lam, flying from country to country in a desperate bid to get home before the health authorities could find him. They weren't just "touring Europe" on their honeymoon. They were in escape and evasion mode. I guess that's why he ended up flying to Canada and then trying to sneak across the border by car back into the US to avoid entering through a US airport.

How incredibly selfish of him. I don't know, people say he's a great guy in these news stories, but this makes me question his ethics and character, particularly being a personal injury attorney who should know better.

As far as his fear of not getting the best treatment in Europe goes, this guy has Kaiser Permanente HMO insurance. I say this as a Kaiser member myself, but when it comes to a very expensive, complicated treatment regime like for XDR-TB, seriously, he might've been better off in Italy! OK, half in jest, but half not. Besides, in all likelihood, he would've been transported back to the US for treatment. If he were a penniless illegal alien from Africa who snuck into Italy, that's one thing, but I think an American attorney and the son-in-law of a career CDC scientist has little to fear going to the health authorities in Italy.