WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a Level 3 travel warning for Americans traveling to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia due to the Ebola outbreak.
In addition to having specialists on the ground in the countries, the CDC is screening and educating travelers to prevent infected people from boarding planes. If they do board planes and leave the region, the CDC will enact protocols to investigate and possibly quarantine all ill travelers to prevent spread of the disease. Airlines have been notified of procedures in the case of sick passengers and all healthcare workers have been instructed on how to prevent the spread of the disease should it reach the United States.
The CDC and its foreign counterparts are not screening all travelers at the point of entry if they are travelling from one of the countries impacted. The U.S, along with the World Health Organization and other partners, are working to contain the outbreak in West Africa.
"This is the biggest and most complex Ebola outbreak in history. Far too many lives have been lost already," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D. "It will take many months, and it won't be easy, but Ebola can be stopped. We know what needs to be done. CDC is surging our response, sending 50 additional disease control experts to the region in the next 30 days."
The two Americans that have been infected with the Ebola virus and are coming back to the U.S. for treatment under controlled environments. The first of the two Americans is expected to arrive in the U.S. on Saturday, CNN reports.
