Man in U.S. With Ebola Had Been Screened to Fly, but System Is Spotty

NEW YORK TIMES   Oct. 2, 2014

By Matthew J. Wald and Jad Mouawad

As he was preparing to leave Liberia for Dallas two weeks ago, Thomas E. Duncan, the man confirmed to be the first Ebola case in the United States, was checked at the airport for signs of the disease. He was determined to have no fever and allowed to board his flight, American officials say. 

Since the deadly Ebola virus began spreading rapidly through West Africa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been pushing the authorities in the worst-hit countries, including Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, to implement just that type of screening for departing passengers.

In early August, the C.D.C. sent medical workers to the region to train local government officials and airport workers in Ebola screening.

But the system has its limits, relying on the traveler to reveal whether he or she has been exposed. And it leaves it to local officials to conduct the screening as they see fit... It is unclear how consistently or effectively those screenings are conducted across West Africa...Airlines have not taken any specific steps to deal with Ebola, representatives from several carriers said.

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