The benefits of being able to screen without making contact with the patient have been widely recognised by airport authorities.

Thermal imaging use extends to checking, when entering a country, whether travellers have caught fevers or illnesses - even if the passenger is simply carrying the disease, and is not yet displaying symptoms.

This efficiency of infrared technology resulted in the use of thermal imaging cameras during the SARS outbreak in 2002 and 2003. Since then, airports in both China and Singapore have continued using them routinely.

"Effective method"

More recently, passengers arriving in Australia have had to pass through thermal imaging machines in order to detect swine flu. The federal government cites such technology as, “an effective method to stop the spread of the disease”.

However, the use of infrared solutions in infection control is not limited to people. Thermal imaging has also been administered in detecting infection in wheat, in order to stop the spoiling of stored grain and to prevent consequent monetary loss.

This has proved important for countries such as Canada, where wheat is the major cereal crop and 70% of production is exported.