Travelers entering the United States from the African nation of Mali will have to undergo enhanced screening for the Ebola virus beginning Monday, federal officials announced late Sunday.
It marks the fourth African country for which the United States has imposed special screening for incoming travelers.
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People arriving in the United States from Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone must also undergo screening.
Like travelers from the three countries, people whose journeys originated in Mali will be rerouted to land at one of five airports that are equipped with enhanced screening, which initially includes a health check and interview.
Ebola has started to spread in Mali, with several confirmed cases there, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Homeland Security Department said in a joint statement.
There are no direct flights from Mali to the United States, but about 15 to 20 people from the country each day “transit through other countries en route to the United States.”
Most of them are citizens or lawful permanent residents returning home to America, officials said.
“The action is warranted as a precaution due to the possibility that other cases of Ebola may emerge in Mali in the coming days,” officials said in a statement.
The special screening includes monitoring for 21 days by local health officials who will look for signs of the virus, including fever and vomiting.
