Ebola Outbreak Prompts Stricter Travel Restrictions and Flight Diversions

Ebola outbreak (Image credit: AP)

The latest deadly Ebola outbreak has prompted stricter travel restrictions and flight diversions across several countries. According to information available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 575 suspected cases, 51 confirmed cases and 148 suspected deaths have been reported so far. The figures include two confirmed cases in Uganda, including one death, involving people who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Authorities, however, said no Ebola cases linked to the current outbreak have been confirmed in the United States so far.

Air France flight diverted

According to AP report, an Air France flight bound for Detroit was diverted to Montreal on Thursday after a passenger from Congo boarded the flight in Paris “in error” amid restrictions linked to the outbreak. An Air France official said the Congolese passenger was denied entry into the United States due to new regulations requiring travellers from certain countries, including Congo, to enter only through Washington DC. US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the updated rules came into effect for flights departing after 11:59 pm on May 20.

Also read: Ebola outbreak forces India to put off Africa summit

US introduces mandatory screening at Washington airport

The United States has now directed all travellers who have recently visited Ebola-affected countries to enter through Washington Dulles International Airport for health screening. As reported by AFP, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that airlines would contact affected passengers to rebook flights through Dulles airport in Virginia. The redirected travellers will undergo “enhanced” screening, including detailed questionnaires on recent travel history and possible exposure risks.

Uganda suspends Congo transport links amid outbreak fears

Meanwhile, Uganda has suspended all public transport services to the Democratic Republic of Congo for four weeks following fears of cross-border spread of Ebola. The move comes after eastern Congo’s Ituri province, which borders Uganda, declared a major outbreak of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever last week. Uganda later reported two suspected Ebola cases involving Congolese nationals who crossed the border including one infection and one death. According to AFP, the Ugandan health ministry said all ferries and cross-border buses have been suspended, although cargo and food transport services remain exempt from the restrictions.

Also read: 'Report, seek medical care': DGHS issues advisory for flyers from Ebola-hit countries

How WHO defines Ebola?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that affects humans and other primates. The virus is transmitted to humans from infected wild animals such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates, and then spreads through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, organs or contaminated materials used by infected individuals.