Following a recent instruction from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, air passengers entering Viet Nam from Ebola-hit countries in the world must complete medical declarations at the country’s international border gates, with effect from 15 August.  However, Da Nang International Airport began this procedure yesterday, 11 August, to prevent any outbreaks of the disease from occurring in the city.

Under the city’s regulation, all international air passengers who arrive in the city will have their body temperatures measured for detection of abnormalities, and the airport’s customs staff will carefully check their visas to check where they have been before arriving in the city.  The city’s Centre for International Health Quarantine will gather personal information about those who have recently visited Ebola-affected West African nations through their medical declarations.  

Air passengers wearing medical masks to avoid contracting Ebola

It is difficult to detect any suspected cases of Ebola disease using only body temperature measurements.  The reason is that the incubation period of Ebola disease, the time interval from initial infection to the onset of symptoms, is from 2 to 21 days.  The patients become contagious once they begin to show symptoms and they are not contagious during the incubation period.  Therefore, the medical declaration is a better way of identifying and monitoring passengers who are at high risk of the disease.

The municipal Department of Health recently issued instructions about ways to prevent the disease being transmitted.  Anyone showing suspected symptoms of Ebola will be isolated and tested for the virus, and their medical declaration forms will be checked whether or not bodily fluids or secretions indicate the presence of the disease.  The Department will ask the city’s authorities for another tele-thermometer to be installed at the international airport. 

In addition, the Department will work with domestic and foreign travel agencies to check the travel schedules of foreign passengers before they arrive at the city’s airport.