Research published this morning on the likely international spread of the Ebola virus suggests the Government is correct not to introduce entry screening at airports here.
Based on current epidemic conditions and international flight restrictions to and from West Africa, an analysis by Canadian researchers projects on average just under three people infected with the haemorrhagic virus will travel on an international flight every month.
The analysis of almost 500,000 travellers who flew out of the affected countries in 2013 found that over half had destinations in five countries: Ghana, Senegal, the UK, France and Gambia. Combining this information with Ebola surveillance data allowed researchers calculate the likely number of exported infections.
Lead author of the paper, published in The Lancet, Dr Kamran Khan of St Michael's Hospital in Toronto, said it is more efficient and less disruptive to screen travellers as they leave countries in West Africa.
"Exit screening at the three international airports (Conakry, Monrovia, and Freetown) in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone should allow all travellers at highest risk of exposure to Ebola to be assessed with greater efficiency compared with entry screening the same passengers as they arrive in cities around the world. However, this will require international support to effectively implement and maintain".
He added: “The best approach to minimise risks to the global community is to control the epidemic at its source. While screening travellers arriving at airports outside of West Africa may offer a sense of security, this would have at best marginal benefits, and could draw valuable resources away from more effective public health interventions.”
Earlier this month, acting on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and the Minister for Health, the Government decided not to implement Ebola screening at Irish airports. In what some experts consider a largely cosmetic exercise, entry screening has been introduced at some major airports in Britain and the US.
