Three US airports are intensifying screenings for passengers potentially infected with Ebola, as health officials warn the outbreak in Central Africa is expected to worsen. More than 900 people have been suspected of contracting the disease, with 220 fatalities reported to date.
US Screening Measures
Officials announced Friday that travelers returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan must fly into one of three designated airports: Washington Dulles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, or George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. Judge Lina Hidalgo, chief executive of Harris County (which includes Houston), detailed the extra precautions on Facebook, effective Tuesday. Measures include temperature checks, a questionnaire, and Ebola tests for those who have recently visited outbreak-affected countries.
Hidalgo explained: 'When someone flies into our airport from these affected countries, or even if they're coming from a layover, they're screened for a fever and asked a series of questions.' If no fever or symptoms are present, travelers are allowed to proceed but must provide contact information for follow-up. Those exhibiting symptoms are taken to one of two undisclosed hospitals in Houston for isolation. If they test positive for Ebola, all passengers on their flight are notified of potential exposure.
To date, seven Harris County residents who recently visited Uganda have been screened, all negative. Two arrived on Sunday and five on Monday, screened in Dallas and Washington DC before continuing to Houston.
Ebola Transmission and Risks
Unlike COVID-19 or influenza, Ebola does not spread through the air; it requires contact with fluids from an infected or deceased person. The current outbreak strain, Bundibugyo, has a fatality rate of about 50 percent and lacks a vaccine or specific treatment. All flights to and from Bunia, the epicenter in eastern DRC, have been grounded, but experts fear the virus may have already spread to neighboring countries.
Outbreak Origins and Spread
The outbreak began in late April when a health worker in Bunia developed fever, hemorrhaging, vomiting, and malaise. The individual died, but it took three weeks for Ebola tests to confirm the infection, allowing the disease to spread. The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that eight other countries are at risk: Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, and Zambia. Except Ethiopia, all border the DRC or Uganda.
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assesses the risk to the American public as 'low,' but warnings have emerged of potential cases in Europe. On Tuesday, Italian authorities issued a health alert in northern Lombardy after two aid workers returned from Uganda with symptoms consistent with Ebola, including high fever, nausea, vomiting, and intestinal issues. They have been transferred to Milan's Sacco Hospital, a specialist facility for high-risk infections. Lombardy's regional welfare minister, Guido Bertolaso, stated there is 'still no certainty that this is Ebola' and expressed hope they will test negative.
Impact and Response
Among the DRC deaths are three Red Cross volunteers who likely contracted the virus while handling dead bodies. Experts have been surprised by the high number of cases before detection; normally, outbreaks are caught before reaching 100 cases. The Bundibugyo strain causes similar symptoms to other strains, including fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, internal bleeding, and organ failure. Patients can carry the virus for up to 21 days before symptoms appear, during which they become infectious. Doctors may treat Ebola with man-made antibody injections, and scientists at the University of Oxford are racing to develop a vaccine.
