If you must travel to Ebola affected countries or locations, you must consider the following:

Local authorities are conducting health screening of all inbound and outbound travellers.
This screening is causing significant changes and delays to routine travel.
In some areas, all travel, even across borders, is restricted or suspended for now.
Many other airports and local authorities are conducting health screening now too.
This means that many parts of the world, especially key transit locations, are experiencing delays and changes as they try to prevent the spread of Ebola in their own cities or country.
Suspected, sick, false results and fear mean that people that don’t even have Ebola are being screened, delayed and even quarantined for as little as a few hours to as long as a few weeks.
If you’re sick, from the flu, a cold or just unwell, you could be mistaken for an infected Ebola sufferer or at least treated like one.
Even the people you travel with can trigger restrictions or quarantine, with entire aircraft or hotels susceptible to quarantine measures for all.
High temperature, fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and general appearance of being unwell could all result in enhanced screening or quarantine at any point in your journey.
A sharp rise in Ebola cases, suspected cases and those seeking preventative treatment have overwhelmed many of the already poorly resourced hospitals and medical clinics in Ebola affected countries.
There are still many other viruses and diseases that can cause serious illness or death that you may be exposed to while travelling.
Vaccinations and medical precautions are not available or 100% effective for all other known viruses and diseases encountered while travelling.
Evacuation from and affected Ebola country if you contract the virus is also unlikely, if not impossible.

Now that you understand the facts about the Ebola virus and how it is spread, use these simple yet effective steps to prevent infection:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
Carry hand sanitizer and use it frequently
Do not touch your mouth, nose or eyes
Avoid hospitals and medical clinics where Ebola patients may be or have been present
Avoid personal homes and hotels where people are or have been sick
Don’t touch or handle deceased Ebola people

If you get sick and you have not had direct exposure to an Ebola patient, it is very unlikely you will have Ebola, as you now understand.

There are many other causes of fever, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.

Some can be serious and life threatening also, such as Malaria.

Get prompt medical attention if required or in doubt.

Get support when possible.

Because of the significant impact and change the Ebola outbreaks are having in travel, ensure you do the following before travelling:

Ensure you have had all your routine medical and dental checks or care before you travel
Take enough medication for your entire trip
Confirm your travel plans or flights. There may be recent changes or updates
Check the requirements for entry and departure into each country you are visiting.
Take a personal first aid kit.
Stay informed and up to date for your specific trip and travel destination.

Intelligent Travel clients and customers have full access to our professional online, chat and on-call travel health, safety, security and risk management support as required.

After your trip, monitor your health for 21 days.

If you become sick, limit contact with other people, seek medical attention, and always mention your recent travel.

If you travel, live overseas or manage either of these types of employees, then you should now know the essential facts about the Ebola virus.

In this short educational video on Ebola, you received professional travel health and safety advice you can use or share with your business.

Topics covered included travel risk, how Ebola is spread, prevention measures and advice on whether you should travel or not.