A guide for fliers worried about Ebola outbreak

    Airlines are taking precautions after Ebola outbreak; passengers should be alert but not worry

    Posted on Aug. 5, 2014 at 12:00 a.m. | Updated on Aug. 5, 2014 at 3:02 a.m.

    NEW YORK (AP) — As the Ebola outbreak in West Africa grows, airlines around the globe are closely monitoring the situation but have yet to make any drastic changes. Below are some key questions about the disease, what airlines are doing and how safe it is to fly.

    Q: Why are airlines concerned?

    A: Airlines quickly take passengers from one part of the globe to another. With some germs, one sick passenger on a plane could theoretically infect hundreds of people who are connecting to flights to dozens of other countries. Health and airline officials note, however, that Ebola only spreads through direct contact. Outbreaks of diseases that can spread through the air, such as the flu and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, are more problematic for airlines.

    Q: Should people travel to West Africa?


    Q: Is Ebola deadly?

    A: Very much so. If contracted, there is no vaccine and no specific treatment. The World Health Organization estimated Monday that there have been 887 deaths from the current Ebola outbreak. That translates to a fatality rate of about 60 percent.

    Q: How is Ebola transmitted?


    Q: Do U.S. airlines fly to West Africa?

    A: Delta Air Lines flies to Dakar, Senegal; Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria. The airline also flies to Monrovia, Liberia, but for unrelated business reasons previously announced it will cancel that service at the end of September. Delta is letting passengers with flights to the region in the next two weeks push back travel until the end of the month. United Airlines also flies to Lagos, but has not issued any travel waiver. American Airlines does not fly to Africa.

    Q: What are U.S. airlines saying about it?

    A: There have been no flight cancelations. All three airlines said they are in regular communication with government agencies and health officials and will follow their recommendations.

    Q: What about airlines from other countries?


    British Airways announced Tuesday that it is suspending flights to and from Liberia and Sierra Leone until Aug. 31 “due to the deteriorating public health situation in both countries.” Passengers with tickets can request a full refund or a flight at a later date.

    Lufthansa notes that “there is no risk of getting infected by the Ebola virus via air circulation during flight.” Crews on Brussels Airlines flights have access to special thermoscans to check passengers’ temperature, if they feel it’s necessary. The only other airline, so far, to cancel any flights is the Middle East airline Emirates. It has suspended its service to Conakry, Guinea, until further notice. It is still flying to Dakar.

    Q: Are passengers leaving Africa being screened?


    Q: Is the U.S. government doing anything extra for arriving passengers?

    A: Border patrol agents at Washington’s Dulles International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, in particular, are looking out for travelers who might have been exposed to the virus. They’re watching for signs of fever, achiness, sore throat, stomach pain, rash or red eyes. The CDC also has staff at 20 U.S. airports and border crossings evaluating travelers with signs of dangerous infectious diseases and isolating them when necessary.




    With reports from AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, New York.



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