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Screening for Ebola is to begin today at Heathrow, targeting passengers flying into the UK from countries at risk.
The screening will start at Terminal 1, before being extended to other terminals, Gatwick and Eurostar by the end of the week.
The Department of Health estimates that 85% of all arrivals to the UK from affected countries will come through Heathrow.
People flying from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will be identified by Border Force officers – although there are currently no direct flights to the UK from those countries.
Nurses and consultants from Public Health England will then carry out the actual screening.
Passengers will have their temperatures taken, complete a risk questionnaire and have contact details recorded.
Anyone with suspected Ebola will be taken to hospital.
A “handful” of cases – thought to be fewer than 10 – are expected to reach the UK before Christmas.
Around 1,000 people arrived in the UK last month from Ebola-affected countries in West Africa.
Passengers deemed to be at high risk due to contact with Ebola patients, but who are displaying no symptoms, will be contacted daily by Public Health England.
Ebola has killed more than 4,000 people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
The screening is starting as health secretary Jeremy Hunt warned: “This is a global health emergency we haven’t seen for years.”
He told The Times: “Possibly it could get to the scale of the Aids epidemic. The impact it could have could be absolutely huge.
“If we are going to make our country safe we need to make sure the virus is contained. It is a global phenomenon.”
The Daily Telegraph reported claims from experts that Ebola screening will cause “huge disruption” to travellers and do little to stop the disease.