3 NEWS NZ 12 AUGUST 2014 - NEW ZEALAND AIRPORT EBOLA CHECKS 'AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION'

A global health expert says there is little risk of Ebola reaching New Zealand, but if the virus does arrive on our shores the country is prepared to deal with it. According to the World Health Organisation, almost 2000 people have contracted Ebola around the globe, with almost half of those cases resulting in death. On Sunday, the Ministry of Health introduced screening measures at New Zealand airports as a precautionary measure against the disease. John Crump, Otago University's McKinlay Professor of Global Health, says the measures "represent an abundance of caution". "New Zealand has no direct flights from west Africa and actually has a fairly low volume of people arriving from that part of the world so we do benefit to some degree from our isolation in that respect," says Dr Crump. "Every passenger arriving in New Zealand from overseas completes a passenger arrival card and on the back of that form is a section where you're asked where you've travelled in the last 30 days. People indicating that they’ve been in Ebola-affected areas in the last 30 days will then be asked additional questions about symptoms that might be suggestive of Ebola virus disease." Dr Crump says if the virus does arrive here the country is relatively prepared to handle it. "We know Ebola well, we know how to prevent transmission including in healthcare settings and many of the infection control practices routinely used in New Zealand hospitals for a range of other, much more common infectious diseases are used to protect healthcare workers and others against transmission of infection with Ebola as well." Dr Crump says unlike past Ebola outbreaks, this one is worrying due to the fact it has spread to numerous locations, particularly in "vulnerable countries" with limited healthcare services. "What's really needed here is a lot more resources and people to deal with what's become the largest Ebola outbreak in history." Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/NZ-airport-Ebola-checks-an-abundance-of-caution/tabid/423/articleID/356489/Default.aspx#ixzz3AP8RRRyp