The US government will begin redirecting US-bound travelers who have been in Uganda in the previous 21 days to five major US airports to be tested for Ebola.
According to the Ugandan Ministry of Health, at least nine people have died from the disease in the country as of October 3. Authorities in the East African nation announced the appearance of an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever on September 20.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will apply new layers of screening at these five US airports. in response to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda," the US Embassy in Uganda said.
Travelers must arrive at New York-John F. Kennedy, Newark, Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, or Washington Dulles airports for screening.
There is no vaccine for the Sudanese strain of the disease, responsible for the latest infections in Uganda, raising fears of a major health crisis in the country of 45 million people.
Two sources told Reuters that about 140 people who had recently been to Uganda arrive in the United States daily, with 62% currently landing at one of those five airports. Officials will perform temperature checks, ask health questions and report arrivals to local health departments.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday that it had no suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola in the US from the Sudan strain cases, but urged workers health workers to keep an eye on the outbreak in Uganda.
"To date in this outbreak, cases have only been confirmed in Uganda and no suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of Ebola have been reported in the United States, and the national Ebola risk is currently low," the statement said. US embassy.
"The enhanced screening applies to all passengers, including US citizens, lawful permanent residents, and visa holders (to include diplomatic and official visas)," it added.
On Saturday, a Tanzanian doctor working in Uganda who contracted Ebola died, the first health worker to die from the disease in the country's latest outbreak, Uganda's health minister said.
