Airport Exit and Entry Screening for Ebola - August-November 10, 2014

In response to the largest recognized Ebola virus disease epidemic now occurring in West Africa, the governments of affected countries, CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other international organizations have collaborated to implement strategies to control spread of the virus. On Aug 8, 2014, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee determined that the Ebola outbreak met the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The committee advised that WHO member states with Ebola transmission "should conduct exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection." Here, Brown et al report on the airport exit and entry screening conducted to control transmission of ebola in the US from Aug to Nov 10, 2014. On Oct 11, 2014, after the first imported Ebola case was identified in the US, an enhanced entry screening program was started at five international airports as an added measure to identify travelers from the three countries with widespread Ebola transmission who might have been exposed to Ebola within 21 days before arrival or who currently had signs or symptoms of Ebola.