Screening for Ebola at Mangalore airport

Mangalore, Aug 8: Health officials at Mangalore International Airport would begin screening passengers at arrival from Saturday to detect persons who contracted highly contagious ebola virus that has wreaked havoc in African countries.

Speaking to reporters at government-run Wenlock hospital here, State Health Minister U T Khader appealed to the public to postpone all journeys to the ebola infected countries.

The screening was as per the direction of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to airports across the country, he said. Precautionary measures would be taken to guard the medical team being set up for this purpose at MIA from the virus.

Meanwhile, in an official statement, the District Health Officer H S Shivakumar said the Ministry of External Affairs had issued directions to screen Indians returning from Liberia following outbreak of ebola virus.

He said the facilities set up at the airport two months ago, to screen those suspected with MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) would be utilised to screen passengers for suspected ebola fever.

PTI