Andhra govt begins Ebola screening at Vijayawada airport

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has begun screening international passengers for the Ebola virus at Vijayawada Airport, effective Tuesday, an official said.

The Health Department has set up a camp at the airport with a doctor and paramedical staff to screen passengers, the official said.

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"This morning we started Ebola screening," the official told PTI, adding that international flights arrive at Vijayawada Airport only three times a week, from Singapore.

Flights from Singapore arrive at Vijayawada Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

According to an airport official, flights from Sharjah had been discontinued following the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran.

According to the WHO website, Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates.

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The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals-such as fruit bats, porcupines, and non-human primates-and then spreads within the human population through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected people, as well as with surfaces and materials-such as bedding and clothing-contaminated with these fluids, the WHO added.