U.S. to begin screening travelers from Uganda for Ebola

The Biden administration said Thursday that the United States will begin screening travelers coming from Uganda for Ebola as an additional precaution to try to prevent an outbreak in the African country from spreading.

There have been no reported cases of Ebola from the outbreak outside Uganda, and the risk in the U.S. is considered low. The screening move was described by U.S. officials as an additional precaution.

The screenings will begin immediately. Travelers who have been in Uganda during the past 21 days will be directed to one of five U.S. airports for Ebola screening: Kennedy International Airport in New York, Washington Dulles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Chicago's O Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Passengers who were in Uganda, including U.S. citizens, are eligible for the screening. It involves a temperature and symptom check conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC will also collect contact information that will be shared with local health departments at the travelers destination.

The administration says that about 145 people per day enter the U.S. from Uganda, with most arriving at the five large airline hubs. The administration said that anyone scheduled to fly into a different airport will be rebooked by their airline.

The CDC sent a health alert to doctors on Thursday, urging them to get a travel history from patients who have Ebola-like symptoms.

The Ebola virus is spread by contact with blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person who is sick or died. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and sometimes bleeding. There are vaccines for Ebola but not for the Sudan strain that causes the current outbreak.

This is the sixth outbreak of Ebola in Uganda, but this one has escalated quickly. Since the first case was diagnosed Sept. 19, there have been 44 confirmed cases and 10 confirmed deaths.