B737-800
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Hazardous Material Violation; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Procedure
As far as I know; there were no flight deck crew deviations from policy; procedure; or FAR. Enroute; the #1 Flight Attendant advised me that passenger was ill. He did not look well. He had an open wound on his leg that was dripping puss and pooling on the carpet below. She said passenger claimed to have just been treated for MRSA [Staphylococcus Infection] and cleared. An on board nurse offered the opinion he had active MRSA.  Using ACARS free text; Dispatch was notified of the ill passenger; puss pool; possible MRSA; and of the Biohazard situation. [Advised ATC] declared for traffic priority. Paramedics took passenger off the aircraft on an isle chair. I made an AML entry containing the following information. Passenger had an open leg wound which was dripping pus and pooling on the carpet below. Passenger claims to have been recently treated for MRSA and cleared. This is a Biohazard situation.
B737-800 Captain reported Flight Attendant notification of passenger illness due to Staph infection. Flight crew requested Biohazard assistance on arrival.