Ebola Screening Activated in the U.K.

The United Kingdom (U.K.) recently announced they would follow the U.S. in screening certain air travelers from the Republic of Uganda.

The U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed on November 14, 2022, all workers returning to the U.K. from areas affected by Ebola should be risk assessed.

Most departing flights to the U.K. are from Kampala, the country's capital city, and land at London Heathrow Airport.

This action is related to Uganda's Sudan Ebolavirus (SUDV) outbreak.

On November 5, 2022, the Government of Uganda announced the extension of the lockdown in the Mubende and Kassanda districts.

The 21-day extension restricts movements in and out of these districts and imposes a nightly curfew.

The UKHSA established the returning workers' scheme (RWS) in November 2014 as part of arrangements to protect and monitor the health of those who travel to Ebola-affected areas for work.

Launching the RWS program was in response to the World Health Organization confirming Ebola Virus Disease cases in West Africa in March 2014.

The RWS applies to any organization, including humanitarian and healthcare, as well as businesses and the media that send workers to situations where they might be directly exposed to Ebola.

About one month ago, the U.S. government took similar actions.

Since October 6, 2022, all U.S.-bound passengers who have been in Uganda have been routed to five designated airports for enhanced Ebola screening.

The U.S. CDC says organizations sending US-based response workers to outbreak areas should follow CDC recommendations to ensure their workers are healthy when they return to the U.S.

In Washington DC, health officials are monitoring 19 travelers, D.C. Health informed CNN.

"This is an opportunity to learn about jurisdictions' plans and identify any areas where CDC or our federal partners could offer technical or other assistance," CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund wrote in an email to CNN on November 16, 2022.

Previously, the U.S. government conducted similar airport exit and entry screening for Ebola during the 2014 outbreak.

There is currently one active Sudan Ebolavirus outbreak in Uganda.

The President of the Republic of Uganda delivered his 4th Address to the Nation on November 15, 2022, stating there were a total of 141 confirmed cases of SUDV and 55 related fatalities since September 2022.

Confirmed SUDV cases have been reported from Kampala, Kassanda, Masaka, Mubende, and Wakiso districts in the Central Region, Bunyangabu, Kagadi, and Kyegegwa districts in the Western Region, and Jinja District in the Eastern Region.

In support of Uganda's actions, the U.S. Embassy in Kampala currently recommends deferral of non-essential U.S. Government employee travel to and through the Mubende and Kassanda districts.

Furthermore, to inform international travelers, the CDC updated its Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions notice on November 15, 2022.

As of today, the U.S. FDA has not authorized a SUDV preventive vaccine.

Other Ebola outbreak news is posted at Vax-Before-Travel/Ebola.

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