The U.S. authorities are also on alert as the Ebola virus, a type for which a vaccine has not yet been developed, is spreading in Uganda in East Africa.
Reuters reported on the 6th that U.S. health officials will start testing visitors who have been to Uganda within the last 21 days after reports of infected or suspected cases of Ebola virus in Uganda.
From next week, visitors from Uganda will be tested for Ebola at five major US airports, including JKF New York, Newark, Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, and Washington Dulles Airport.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has yet to report any suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola but is urging health care workers to be vigilant about the possibility of an outbreak.
“It is important to have detailed travel histories of patients suspected of Ebola, especially those who have been in Uganda-affected areas,” the CDC said.
It is reported that about 140 Uganda visitors arrive to the United States each day. Of these, 62% are entering the country through five airports.
Ebola testing applies to all passengers, including Americans.
In Uganda, the virus has been spreading, with at least 30 deaths since the Ebola outbreak on the 20th of last month. The virus identified in Uganda is said to be the ‘Sudanese subtype’ for which a vaccine has not yet been developed among the five Ebola subtypes.