International Air Transport Association (IATA) has activated a Travel and Transport Task Force that will monitor the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa and provide timely information to travellers and travel and tourism operators.
The current Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak is believed to have begun in Guinea in December 2013. This outbreak now involves community transmission in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone; and recently an ill traveller from Liberia infected a small number of people in Nigeria with whom he had direct contact.
On 8 August 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005).
The death toll, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is now more than 1,350.
IATA in a release said that: “In order to support global efforts to contain spread of the disease and provide a coordinated international response for the travel and tourism sector, heads of the World Health Organisation (WHO), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Airports Council International (ACI), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) decided to activate a Travel and Transport Task Force that will monitor the situation and provide timely information to the travel and tourism sector as well as to travellersâ€Â.
The statement said that the risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease during air travel is low. Unlike infections such as influenza or tuberculosis, Ebola is not spread by breathing air (and the airborne particles it contains) from an infected person. Transmission requires direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other body-fluids of infected living or dead persons or animals, all unlikely exposures for the average traveller.
The Association advised travellers to avoid all such contacts and routinely practice careful hygiene, like hand-washing.
The risk of getting infected on an aircraft is also small, as sick persons usually feel so unwell they cannot travel and infection requires direct contact with body fluids of the infected person.
“Most infections in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, are taking place in the community when family-members or friends take care of someone who is ill or when funeral preparation and burial ceremonies do not follow strict infection prevention and control measures.â€Â
A second important place where transmission can occur is in clinics and other health care settings, when health care workers, patients, and other persons have unprotected contact with a person who is infected. In Nigeria, cases are related only to persons who had direct contact with a single traveller who was hospitalised upon arrival in Lagos.
A person who is infected is only able to spread the virus to others after the infected person has started to have symptoms. A person usually has no symptoms for two to 21 days (the “incubation periodâ€Â). Symptoms include fever, weakness, muscle-pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and in some cases, bleeding.
IATA believes that “the risk of a traveller becoming infected with Ebola virus during a visit to the affected countries and developing disease after returning is very low, even if the visit includes travel to areas in which cases have been reported.
“If a person, including a traveller, stayed in the areas where Ebola cases have been recently reported, he/she should seek medical attention at the first sign of illness (fever, headache, achiness, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, red eyes, and in some cases, bleeding). Early treatment can improve prognosis.â€Â
The Association called for strengthened international cooperation and support action to contain the virus, stop transmission to other countries and mitigate the effects in those affected.
It called on all affected countries to conduct exit-screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings for unexplained febrile illnesses consistent with potential Ebola infection.
“Any person with an illness consistent with EVD should not be allowed to travel unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation. There should be no international travel of Ebola contacts or cases, unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation.
‘Non-affected countries need to strengthen their capacity to detect and immediately contain new cases, while avoiding measures that will create unnecessary interference with international travel or trade,†the statement said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) does not recommend any ban on international travel or trade, in accordance with advice from the WHO Ebola Emergency Committee.
Travel restrictions and active screening of passengers on arrival at sea ports, airports or ground crossings in non-affected countries that do not share borders with affected countries are not currently recommended by WHO.
IATA called for countries to provide their citizens travelling to Ebola-affected countries with accurate and relevant information on the Ebola outbreak, and measures to reduce the risk of exposure.
Ghana’s Port Health Officials have assured the travelling public that the country will not close its borders to the travelling public from the four Ebola-present countries in accordance with WHO and International Health Regulation, despite the closure of borders by neighbouring countries to prevent spread of the disease.
The four Ebola-present countries are: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry and Nigeria.
South Africa is the latest country to close its borders to travellers from the Ebola-present countries. Senegal has closed its border with Guinea, while Kenya has also closed its borders to travellers from Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Mr. Samuel Fiafemeti, Head of Port Health at the Kotoka International Airport said authorities have put measures in place to contain any threat posed by Ebola Virus.
There is currently a stand-by ambulance to convey visibly-ill passengers arriving at the KIA to a newly-built isolation centre adjacent to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority School under construction at the KIA enclave.
The one-bed facility, according to authorities, is expandable to accommodate about 16 suspected cases of Ebola at a time for sample-taking before suspected Ebola virus carriers are transferred to one of the designated hospitals equipped to handle such cases.
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS