Congo Reopens Bunia Airport as Ebola Cases in Ituri Reach 321

3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 2

Bunia airport reopened with immediate effect after Congo said conditions now allow a gradual, safe resumption of passenger flights in Ebola-hit Ituri province.
Temperature screening before boarding and on arrival, mandatory handwashing and a ban on febrile passengers are part of the new controls after last month's suspension cut some residents off from critical supplies.
321 confirmed Ebola cases and 48 deaths have been recorded, with the outbreak spreading to 15 of Ituri's 36 health zones and also reaching North and South Kivu and neighboring Uganda.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cited five certified recoveries but said testing, treatment capacity and trust in health workers still need to improve.
The Bundibugyo-strain outbreak, Congo's 17th and already its third-largest on record, may be significantly larger than official figures suggest, the International Rescue Committee said.

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Is reopening an airport a necessary economic lifeline or a catastrophic public health gamble with an untreatable Ebola strain?

Can simple temperature checks contain an Ebola outbreak that has already outpaced official figures and crossed international borders?