According to a news report stringent measures have been put in place at South African airports to identify passengers displaying symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus and help prevent its spread, The National Department of Health has said. SAnews.gov.za reports that both OR Tambo International and Lanseria Airport have thermal scanners to detect travellers with raised temperatures. Once identified, the travellers will be assessed by medical officials at the necessary facilities available, with special attention being given to patients with a travel history to West Africa. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as well as the health ministry were alerted to the outbreak of the disease in West Africa as early as April and started addressing the challenges posed immediately. An alert was circulated shortly after the outbreak, prompting all Port Health officials to be aware of the EVD outbreak and have a high index of suspicion for travellers displaying symptoms. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has confirmed that necessary steps have been taken to detect and treat the disease should it arrive in the country, and that South African citizens had no need to panic. Earlier this week, Airports Company South Africa spokesperson, Unathi Batyashe-Fillis confirmed that The National Department of Health is monitoring all ports of entry into South Africa. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also warned against nonessential travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, the three countries experiencing the current outbreak. The CDC raised its travel health alert to Level 3, the highest level, for those countries. Meanwhile IATA is coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding possible implications for air service. WHO currently is not recommending restrictions or the closure of borders at points of entry of the three countries. The organization said that the risk of a traveller becoming infected is low, but advised that travellers avoid all direct contacts with blood, secretions, organs or body fluids of those infected with Ebola. IATA will continue to monitor developments closely in the Ebola outbreak in close coordination with the WHO and ICAO. Heres what travellers need to know about the Ebola Virus as detailed by WHO: - Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. - EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%. - EVD outbreaks occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests. - The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. The disease is not spread through the air like the flu virus but through bodily fluids. - Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus. - Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. No licensed specific treatment or vaccine is available for use in people or animals. - Containing the virus is extremely important as a single case can quickly turn into an epidemic. - Symptoms will develop about 21 days after infection and include fever, headache, muscle pain and weakness. - Other symptoms may involve a rash, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Internal/external bleeding occurs in some cases, which can lead to shock and massive hemorrhage. - Travellers heading to this area should keep abreast of where the affected areas are and avoid direct contact with people who are sick. - Administer strict hygiene conditions by regularly washing hands and avoiding contact with infected humans, if necessary were protective clothing and gloves.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 09:28:53 +0000
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