Philadelphia airport preparing for Ebola

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Officials at Philadelphia International Airport say they are following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and federal customs and border protection officials to identify passengers displaying possible symptoms of communicable diseases such as Ebola.

The airport said in a statement that there are no direct flights from West Africa to Philadelphia, and the airport is not one of the five U.S. airports designated by the Department of Homeland Security for additional Ebola screenings.

Current guidance from health authorities calls for customs personnel to observe all arriving international travelers for symptoms or overt signs of illness and ask a series of questions. If a passenger is suspected to be infected, customs personnel will coordinate with local and federal health authorities for further evaluation.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up