Fear of Ebola: Experts say 'travel ban' is less-effective, unethical

Washington, Oct 18: What is spreading faster than

? The fear of the deadly disease.

Ebola epidemic has created a state of paranoia in the United States where more and more people are calling for a travel ban on people coming from the three West African nations struggling with the outbreak.

The Ebola has an impact on the US politics too as the elections is just weeks away. There are prominent Republicans among those calling for a ban, including John Boehner, the House speaker. However, the White House has stated several times it opposition to imposing a travel ban. The president Barack Obama said that travel ban was less effective than the options the country is currently pursuing, said a NYT report.

However, public health experts opine that a travel ban would be ineffective and difficult to carry out. It would not entirely prevent people in Ebola-hit countries from entering the United States, they say.

Also, a ban would isolate impoverished nations that are struggling to combat the disease, experts say. Travel ban is unethical as it would possibly cut impoverished nations off from the international aid workers fighting the disease. The best option to stop Ebola spread in US would be to fight and erase the disease from Africa, said experts, as quoted by The New York Times.

So far, there has been just one Ebola death in US. The man, a Liberian man, was taken from Monrovia to Brussels and then to Dallas after he was tested positive with Ebola. Two nurses treated him at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital have contracted the disease.

In 1987, during the Reagan regime, US had imposed a travel ban for people with H.I.V. or AIDS. It was Obama who lifted that ban.

Oneindia News