Airports Like O'Hare A Focus Point In Ebola Battle
From the Arlington Heights Daily Herald
In the wake of news that a man infected with the Ebola virus traveled from West Africa to Dallas late last month, it's hard not to consider the possibility that something similar could happen here.
O'Hare International Airport is one of the key hubs of international travel in the U.S., which could make the Chicago area, including the suburbs surrounding the airport, vulnerable to infectious diseases carried by passengers.
"We're one plane ride away from the worst health care in the world and worst health care conditions in the world," U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said during a Daily Herald editorial board interview on Wednesday. "That's what we're seeing now in Texas."
National health officials acknowledge the danger, but they say that travel hubs like O'Hare are closely monitored.
"We regularly communicate with local emergency responders and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to stay on top of any exposure," said Christine Pearson, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pearson said that since the Ebola crisis has grown more serious in West Africa, the CDC has been provided new training and guidelines to flight crews, emergency workers and U.S. Customs officers at O'Hare and other airports.
"We're explaining what they should be looking for, how to recognize serious illnesses and how to notify us," Pearson said.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Arlington Heights Daily Herald
In the wake of news that a man infected with the Ebola virus traveled from West Africa to Dallas late last month, it's hard not to consider the possibility that something similar could happen here.
O'Hare International Airport is one of the key hubs of international travel in the U.S., which could make the Chicago area, including the suburbs surrounding the airport, vulnerable to infectious diseases carried by passengers.
"We're one plane ride away from the worst health care in the world and worst health care conditions in the world," U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said during a Daily Herald editorial board interview on Wednesday. "That's what we're seeing now in Texas."
National health officials acknowledge the danger, but they say that travel hubs like O'Hare are closely monitored.
"We regularly communicate with local emergency responders and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to stay on top of any exposure," said Christine Pearson, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pearson said that since the Ebola crisis has grown more serious in West Africa, the CDC has been provided new training and guidelines to flight crews, emergency workers and U.S. Customs officers at O'Hare and other airports.
"We're explaining what they should be looking for, how to recognize serious illnesses and how to notify us," Pearson said.
Read more in our daily News Update...