Six Canadian airports now have Quarantine officials in place to screen travellers coming from countries affected by the Ebola outbreak.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has people working in the airports in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax and Ottawa looking for anyone who shows signs of illness or who indicates that they have been in contact with someone who is sick.

On Wednesday, Health Minister Rona Ambrose announced that Canada will start “targeted temperature” screening of travellers from affected countries.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said quarantine officers will administer the temperature checks to any traveller they believe needs one.

“Quarantine officers have the necessary training and equipment, including temperature-monitoring devices, to conduct a health assessment and determine whether additional health measures are required,” the PHAC statement said. “Should these travellers identify themselves in this manner, a temperate check will now be administered.”

Symptoms include:

  • Sore throat
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Muscle pain and weakness
  • Rash
  • Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
  • Haemorrhaging (bleeding from inside and outside the body)

The virus can be spread through:

  • Contact with infected animals
  • Contact with blood, body fluids or tissues of infected persons
  • Contact with medical equipment, such as needles, contaminated with infected body fluids

Travellers at the Calgary International Airport are mixed on the measures.

“Anything you have to do a little extra to prevent an issue with that, I would think shouldn’t be an issue,” said one man.

“Will they capture anyone who has Ebola just because of a quick temperature scan? I don’t know, I don’t think so but what other test are there out there? ” said a lady.

“Certainly there should be a checking process or a protocol of some sort,“said one traveller coming in from the States.

There are no direct flights into Canada from any countries affected by the outbreak and at all other ports of entry to Canada, including land border crossings and sea ports, CBSA officers will be able to consult remotely with a quarantine officer.

Public health officials say the risk Ebola poses to Canadians “has not changed and remains very low.”

To date, Ebola has killed more than 3,400 people in West Africa and infected at least twice that, according to the World Health Organization.

For more information on Ebola, Click HERE.

(With files from ctvnews.ca)