"But one would hope that a patient that ill would not be allowed on the airplane in the first place."
"If a traveler were to come in contact with a symptomatic Ebola patient who was bleeding, having diarrhea or vomiting, and the traveler came in contact with those bodily fluids, then it would be possible," he says. The risks of contracting the virus from an infected passenger are "extremely low," according to Lee Norman, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Hospital and an adviser to homeland security on infectious diseases. In addition, medical experts note that even if a passenger infected with Ebola were to board a flight, other passengers would not be in imminent danger. The World Health Organization is recommending that in non-affected countries, authorities should strengthen the capacity to detect and immediately contain new cases, while avoiding measures that will create unnecessary interference with international travel or trade. The precautions are similar to steps taken during previous outbreaks of contagious diseases, including Middle East respiratory syndrome and deadly bird flus.įor now, the threat to air travelers outside West Africa appears to be low. If cleared, they receive a stamped leaflet declaring them fit for travel.
Passengers boarding aircraft are checked for fever. Airport health screeners in hazmat suits and armed with gun thermometers are becoming a familiar sight in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where the Ebola epidemic continues to spiral out of control.
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