US, Canada up Ebola screenings as man dies

US, Canada up Ebola screenings as man dies
By admin


The US and Canada have announced stepped-up airport screening measures to look for passengers carrying Ebola, as the deadly virus killed a man in Texas and the worldwide toll neared 3,900.

The spillover of the virus – with the first diagnosis in United States and the first case of infection in Spain – has raised fears of contagion in the West.

The world's largest outbreak of Ebola has killed 3,865 people out of 8,033 infected so far this year, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to the World Health Organisation's latest count.

But the WHO sought to contain concerns of a wider outbreak in Europe after a Spanish nurse was infected, with regional director Zsuzsanna Jakab saying sporadic cases in Europe were "unavoidable" but the risk of a full outbreak was "extremely low".

In Washington, officials announced increased screening at five major airports including in New York, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta and New Jersey.

And Canadian health minister Rona Ambrose said passengers arriving from west African countries affected by the epidemic must go through tightened controls, though she didn't specify where these would take place.

Meanwhile, two people were hospitalised in Los Angeles and Dallas for possible exposure to Ebola.

The LA case, concerning a patient who'd travelled to Liberia, turned out to be a false alarm.

In the Dallas case, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Tom Frieden said, "there is someone who does not have either definite contact with Ebola or definite symptoms of Ebola who is being assessed".

Ebola is transmitted by close contact with the bodily fluids of a person showing symptoms of infection such as fever, aches, vomiting and diarrhoea, or who has recently died of the virus.

Thomas Eric Duncan became the first patient cared for in the US to die of Ebola, said Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

Duncan died 10 days after he was admitted and despite receiving an experimental drug to fight off the illness.

"Mr Duncan succumbed to an insidious disease, Ebola. He fought courageously in this battle," a hospital statement read.

Duncan is believed to have been infected with Ebola before he left Liberia and boarded a plane to visit family in Texas.

The CDC has said there was "zero risk" he had infected any fellow travellers because he was not symptomatic until days after the flight.

News of Duncan's diagnosis led to a spike of suspected Ebola cases and forced governments to consider stronger methods of keeping the virus at bay.

Hours after Duncan died, the White House announced the stricter screenings, which will be implemented from Saturday.

They include sending extra CDC staff to airports and taking the temperatures of people arriving from Ebola-hit nations.

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]