Passenger from DRC boards Air France flight ‘in error’, removed after Ebola scare diversion: What happened
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Ebola concerns on Air France flight
An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was diverted to Montreal after a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo was mistakenly allowed onboard despite US Ebola-related travel restrictions. Authorities removed the traveler, who has not been confirmed to have Ebola.
A flight from France to Detroit Metro Airport was diverted over Ebola concerns on Wednesday (May 19). The flight was from Charles de Gaulle and was diverted from DTW to Montreal reportedly to remove a passenger who was from DRC. On the flight was a passenger from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson said that the passenger should not have been on the flight as the US restricted travel from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan on May 18 due to a widening outbreak of Ebola in parts of Africa. This comes after US State Department issued Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel’ advisories for the DRC, South Sudan and Uganda, and urged caution for neighbouring regions.
CBP says passenger boarded flight ‘in error’
The statement by CBP said: “Air France boarded a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo in error on a flight to the United States. Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane. CBP took decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveler from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada. CBP, in coordination with CDC, is taking the necessary measures to protect public health and reduce the risk of Ebola disease introduction into the United States.”
The statement confirmed that passenger was removed after the plane was diverted to Canada. It also said that the passenger has not been confirmed to be infected with Ebola as of Wednesday evening.
Also Read: Ebola outbreak declared 'international health emergency' by WHO: Is it a pandemic? WION Decodes
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WHO declares international health emergency over rare Ebola strain
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Ebola outbreak an ‘international health emergency’ that has killed over 139 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO has also raised alarm due to its 'scale and speed'. Authorities warned that there was no vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain that is spreading. The global health body stopped short of declaring a pandemic emergency, the highest alert level introduced in 2024. There are currently no approved vaccines or antiviral drugs specifically for the Bundibugyo strain. Experimental candidates such as Merck’s Ervebo, Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s MBP 134 and Auro Vaccines’ VesiculoVax have shown promise in trials. Some early-stage research, including a Chinese mRNA vaccine tested in mice, has also shown potential but has not yet reached advanced testing stages.
