Dayton, Franken, Klobuchar ask for Ebola screening at MSP

Travelers arriving from west Africa would be checked visually and have their temperatures taken at Twin Cities International Airport under a request from Minnesota's governor and two U.S. senators for heightened federal screenings to prevent the Ebola virus from entering the state.

In a formal request to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Gov. Mark Dayton and U.S. Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar asked Monday for the same screening measures being added at five international airports in the U.S.

"Ebola has already touched the lives of many Minnesotans as they hear about and pray for family, friends, and loved ones struggling with the disease in Liberia," the three wrote. "We hope to work with you to do everything we can to prevent the disease from spreading to Minnesota."

At JFK airport in New York, where heightened screening took effect over the weekend, 91 travelers were identified as Ebola risks based on their recent travel history, and five underwent medical evaluations, CDC director Tom Frieden said Monday in a national media briefing.

None were found to have Ebola, a virus linked this year to more than 8,000 illnesses and more than 4,000 deaths in west Africa.

Once similar detection systems take effect this week at Washington Dulles, Chicago O'Hare, Newark Liberty and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, federal officials believe that 94 percent of the travelers flying from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will be subject to screening. Add in similar screenings taking place at the departure airports in Africa and at stops in Europe, and 99 percent of travelers from the countries at the heart of the Ebola outbreak will be checked at least twice before entering the U.S.

The Minnesota leaders said nevertheless that they believe additional screening would be wise at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport because the Twin Cities is home to an estimated 30,000 Liberian natives. It is considered the largest community from that nation outside of Africa.

One man died at a Dallas hospital last week from an Ebola infection that he acquired while he was in Africa but which didn't produce symptoms until he was back in the U.S. One of his caregivers at the hospital has since contracted the virus, as well, despite efforts to protect herself with protective gowns and equipment while providing care. The virus does not spread through the air, but through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood, saliva and urine.

Frieden said Monday that the federal airport screenings will help protect the United States, and that he does not favor a travel ban to or from west Africa, where there is an extreme need for medical supplies and personnel.

A travel ban would make it "much harder to stop the outbreak at the source," he said.

The request for additional screening in Minneapolis was not addressed in the teleconference. The CDC press office was closed for the national holiday Monday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske said about 150 people fly into the United States daily from the affected countries, and more than 90 percent arrive at one of the five airports already selected for heightened screening.

"Entrance screening at MSP would add one more layer of protection against the disease," said airport spokesman Pat Hogan.

Heightened screening would take place only at the customs checkpoint and apply only to travelers whose flight itinerary originated in Liberia, Guinea or Sierra Leone. They would fill out a health declaration form with the CDC, stating where they are traveling from, where they will be staying in Minnesota, and whether they have had any contact with an Ebola patient.

Medical professionals with the CDC also would conduct a visual examination of passengers and take their temperatures to check for fevers.

Already, the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport has isolation rooms for travelers who show signs of fever or severe illness. A CDC doctor would then evaluate the patients, and determine whether they need hospital care. They would be taken by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis or another hospital of their choice for further care or quarantine.

Jeremy Olson • 612-673-7744