The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, increasing their warnings on Ebola, is advising airlines and jet staff to treat all body fluids as infectious, even on domestic flights.
“Treat all body fluids as though they are infectious,” said the latest CDC update to airlines. The update notes that if Ebola is suspected, aircraft can be cleaned mid-flight. The update is apparently meant to stress the rights airlines have to block anyone who appears “ill” from boarding.
The agency this week suggested that the Ebola crisis could strike 500,000 by the end of January. Others note that some 200,000 Africans from nations hit by the deadly virus have visas to travel to the United States.
The CDC is getting out in front of what could be a problem in the United States if somebody with the virus slips through security checkpoints overseas and arrives in America. In addition to the new precautions to airlines, the CDC has also provided hospitals and health centers with special protocols on handling people suspected of having Ebola.