DETROIT, Mich. (NewsNation) — On Wednesday, an Air France flight traveling from Paris to Detroit was rerouted to Montreal following concerns about a possible Ebola infection among the passengers, as confirmed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Thursday.
The passenger in question was reportedly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and mistakenly boarded the flight. A CBP spokesperson noted that the individual had traveled despite existing restrictions but did not specify when they had last been in the Congo.
“To mitigate the risk of Ebola virus transmission, the passenger should not have been on the flight,” stated the spokesperson. The CBP acted promptly, redirecting the flight to Montreal instead of allowing it to land at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
Air France verified that the U.S. authorities requested the diversion, clarifying that there was no medical crisis onboard.
Ebola travel restrictions in the U.S.
On Thursday, the State Department released a health advisory indicating that travelers from Uganda, South Sudan, or the Congo within the last 21 days must enter the U.S. through Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia. This measure is part of “enhanced public health screening” efforts.
“The Dulles requirement applies to all passengers, including U.S. citizens and (lawful permanent residents), who were present in those countries,” the State Department clarified.
Air France said the Congolese passenger was denied entry into the U.S. due to new regulations that travelers from those three countries can enter only through Dulles.
The CDC announced “entry restrictions” on Monday for non-U.S. passport holders entering the U.S. who have been in the affected areas within the last 21 days. The agency invoked the restrictions under Title 42, a law that allows the CDC director to block noncitizens from entering the U.S. for up to 30 days for public health purposes, as reported by NewsNation partner The Hill.
Over 130 deaths so far from Ebola outbreak
The strain of Ebola causing issues, the Bundibugyo virus, is immune to vaccines and antibodies developed against the most common Ebola strain, according to CDC data. The virus has a death rate between 25% and 50%, and treatment consists only of supportive care.
The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday the risk of global spread of the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda is high at national and regional levels but low at the global level despite more than 130 deaths.
“There are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “We expect those numbers to keep increasing.”
The Associated Press, NewsNation’s Sean Noone and partner The Hill contributed to this report.