US screens Ugandan travelers for Ebola

The Biden administration said Thursday that the United States will begin screening travelers from Uganda for the Ebola virus as an additional precaution aimed at trying to prevent an outbreak in the African country.

A senior administration official who was not allowed to discuss screening protocols publicly said he spoke on the condition that with “no suspected, probable or confirmed cases” of Ebola reported outside Uganda, the risk in the United States is currently seen as low. From anonymity. The official described the examination step as an “extra precautionary measure.”

Checks will begin immediately, with full coverage of passengers from Uganda expected to be in place by the end of the week.

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Passengers who have been in Uganda at any time in the past 21 days, which is the virus’s incubation period, will be redirected to one of the five US airports for Ebola screening: New York’s JFK International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport. and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

These passengers will undergo a “temperature screening, risk assessment, visual symptom screening, and contact information check” conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authorities will share this information with the local health departments at the final destination of the travelers. Checks will begin immediately, with full coverage of passengers from Uganda expected to be in place by the end of the week.

The department says about 145 people enter the United States daily from Uganda, and most of them already arrive at one of the five airports, which serve as large flight hubs. The department said anyone scheduled to fly to another airport would be rebooked by their airline.

Ebola, which appears as a viral hemorrhagic fever, is spread through contact with infected person’s body fluids or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, and sometimes internal and external bleeding.

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