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US Supports Small Biotech for Experimental Ebola Treatment (Image: Getty)
Federal officials confirmed that an Air France flight traveling from Paris to Detroit was diverted to Montreal on Wednesday following an Ebola scare.
The diversion was triggered by current US flight restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, after it emerged that one of the passengers was from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Air France had allowed the passenger to board “in error on a flight bound for the United States,” according to a statement from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman.
The spokesman added that the passenger “should not have boarded” due to “entry restrictions implemented to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus”. However, it is not yet known when the person last came to Congo.
A Public Health Agency of Canada Quarantine Officer assessed the passenger and determined that the person was showing no symptoms, according to the agency, and placed them on the return flight to Paris.
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The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially confirmed the ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo on May 15. As of Wednesday, the World Health Organization had recorded at least 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths linked to the virus.
Health officials stated that the outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo strain and that there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. According to Air France, the flight was rerouted at the request of US authorities and emphasized that “there were no medical emergencies on board”.
Deborah Mistor, one of the passengers on the flight, told CBS News: “The flight attendants all had masks on, and no one had them before the announcement. So it was really alarming what was going on here. Why aren’t we allowed to land?”
“I think enough people must have been questioning what was going on because 30 minutes later he came back and said he wanted to confirm that there was nothing wrong with the plane, there were no technical problems, it was definitely because the US authorities wouldn’t let us land in the US,” Mistor told CBS News.
Air France Flight Destined for Detroit Diverted to Montreal Due to Possible Exposure of Passengers to Ebola (Image: Getty)
He said the cabin crew then wore face masks. “They tell you everything is fine, there is no mechanical problem, but everyone is wearing masks,” Mistor said.
Dr. D., a CDC and infectious disease expert who serves as a medical correspondent for CBS News and was stationed in West Africa during an earlier Ebola outbreak. According to Céline Gounder, Ebola can only be transmitted if a person is showing symptoms.
Dr Gounder emphasized the point on Thursday on “CBS Mornings”, saying: “You can’t transmit Ebola, if you don’t have symptoms you can’t transmit it at all.” Standing firm in his position, he argued: “Should people be worried about this? No. You’re not going to catch Ebola by sitting next to someone on a plane who doesn’t have symptoms.”
