http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/04/travel/ebola-and-travel.html 2014-10-04 03:01:18 Ebola and Travel Answers to questions about what is being done to prevent those infected with the Ebola virus from flying to the United States. === A Liberian man, who became infected with the Ebola virus in Monrovia and flew to the United States, this week became the first case in the West African outbreak diagnosed in this country. His presence has raised questions about contagion on planes and the most effective methods of preventing those infected from flying here. As policy makers Are passengers being screened before they enter the United States? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention As part of that process, the agency advises that airport workers in West Africa ask travelers if they have been exposed to Ebola in the last 21 days, have had a fever and have had any symptoms including severe headache, muscle ache, abdominal pain, unusual bruising or bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea. The screener is expected to use a hand-held noncontact temperature monitor, a few inches from the traveler’s forehead, to check for fever. But the system has its limits, relying on the traveler to reveal whether he or she has been exposed. Liberian officials Is any screening being done in the United States? The Customs and Border Protection personnel are looking for overt signs of illnesses and questioning passengers at all United States ports of entry, according to the Department of Homeland Security. When a traveler appears ill or supplies information that would give cause to suspect infection, border patrol personnel will notify the C.D.C., and medical professionals from the agency will examine the individual and determine the next steps. Marsha Catron, a homeland security spokeswoman, added that the C.D.C. and the border patrol would start providing a sheet to all travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea with medical information, should the traveler begin to develop symptoms of Ebola, which usually appear between two and 21 days of exposure. The sheet also includes instructions to be given to the traveler’s doctor, with recommendations for treating and containing the sickness. In an Are airlines taking any measures? United Airlines is contacting several hundred passengers who traveled with Mr. Duncan on his two flights from Liberia to Dallas on Sept. 20, according to several reports. As The Times reported on Wednesday, airlines have not taken any specific steps to deal with Ebola, according to representatives from several carriers. They follow general guidelines issued by the C.D.C. and the World Health Organization. They have also informed their flight attendants about the hazards of Ebola, its symptoms and how the disease is spread.