As an additional precaution to try to stop an outbreak in the African nation from spreading, the United States will start screening travelers arriving from Uganda for Ebola, the Biden administration announced Thursday.
No Ebola cases from the outbreak have been reported outside of Uganda, and the risk in the United States is regarded as low. American officials characterized the screening measure as an additional safety measure.
The screenings will start showing right away. Ebola screening will take place at one of five U.S. airports: Kennedy International Airport in New York, Washington Dulles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Travelers who have been in Uganda at any point during the past 21 days, the incubation period for the virus, will be diverted to one of these airports.
Any passenger who visited Uganda is subject to screening, including Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention check your temperature and symptoms as part of this process. Additionally, the CDC will gather contact information that will be distributed to regional health agencies at the travelers’ final destination.
Blood and other bodily fluids from an infected person who is ill or dead are the main ways that the Ebola virus disease is transmitted. Fever, nausea, diarrhea, cramping in the muscles, and occasionally bleeding are some symptoms. Although there are Ebola vaccines, they do not cover the Sudan strain that is the source of the current outbreak.
This is Uganda’s sixth Ebola outbreak, but this one has spread quickly. Since the initial case was identified on September 19, there have been 44 confirmed cases and 10 confirmed deaths as of Thursday.
