Ebola health checks on passengers from West African countries affected by the virus have begun at the UK's London Heathrow airport; London Gatwick and the Eurostar rail terminal will follow by next week.
The move came as the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the ebola death rate now is around 70 per cent and that there could be up to 10,000 new cases of ebola per week within two months.
Affected travellers to the UK will be asked to have their temperature taken and to complete a questionnaire about their current health and recent travel history.
They will also be asked if they have any health problems such as headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, intense fatigue, bruising or unexplained bleeding.
The measures are voluntary and passengers can only be forced to undergo them if they are showing obvious symptoms.
Anyone found to have ebola will be moved to a specialist centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
However, there are concerns the UK screening will not be wide enough to be effective.
Health security expert doctor Devi Sridhar said airport screening was no more than "political theatre".
"Experience has shown it does not work," she said. She called for a better global response, adding: "Piecemeal screening and closing borders is not going to contain it and it's not going to work."
Ebola health checks on passengers from West African countries affected by the virus have begun at the UK's London Heathrow airport; London Gatwick and the Eurostar rail terminal will follow by next week.
The move came as the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the ebola death rate now is around 70 per cent and that there could be up to 10,000 new cases of ebola per week within two months.
Affected travellers to the UK will be asked to have their temperature taken and to complete a questionnaire about their current health and recent travel history.
They will also be asked if they have any health problems such as headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, intense fatigue, bruising or unexplained bleeding.
The measures are voluntary and passengers can only be forced to undergo them if they are showing obvious symptoms.
Anyone found to have ebola will be moved to a specialist centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
However, there are concerns the UK screening will not be wide enough to be effective.
Health security expert doctor Devi Sridhar said airport screening was no more than "political theatre".
"Experience has shown it does not work," she said. She called for a better global response, adding: "Piecemeal screening and closing borders is not going to contain it and it's not going to work."
