Alright. As somebody who's done quite a bit of microbiology, I'd like to try to head off what may turn into airborne paranoia here.

Yes, there are probably "germs" on your seat. And wiping it down with some sort of chemical solution may make you feel better. But the reality is that disease-causing microorganisms are EVERYWHERE. Very virulent (nasty) ones, in fact. On your skin. Right now. The bacterial population of your mouth would astound you -- but you're NOT getting sick. They're on your skin, on your clothes, transmitted in the air, etc. In fact, if you were to take a shower with an anti-bacterial soap, your skin's bacterial population would be right back to normal within a few minutes, still, without you becoming ill. We all have normal bacterial populations and our bodies have defences for dealing with a lot of nasty things, totally without our knowing.

Who's at risk of "catching" something when travelling? The same people who are susceptible in normal, everyday life: the elderly, the immunocompromised and children. Don't let stories like this, and their Hollywood derivatives, set off a panic.
Becoming infected usually requires your body's defences to already be lowered. Most often, as in the case of Ebola, it requires DIRECT HUMAN CONTACT. You're not going to suddenly start "bleeding out" because you didn't wipe your tray table down.

What people do need to keep in mind when travelling is that proper handwashing and other standard hygenic practices are essential.

In cases like this quarantine, the concern is something new, like viruses and bacteria "jumping" species barriers and moving to infect via previously unknown transmission routes. But, and this does not appear to be the case in Boston, even if it is something new, there probably is not a whole lot passengers on that plane, or anywhere else, can do about it.

The bottom line: take sensible precautions and don't let fear be your decision maker. Besides, you won't be able to fit in your seat with that bubble suit, anyway.

Elektrik