{
  "id": "R43809",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R43809",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 436099,
      "date": "2014-12-05",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T22:51:36.078258",
      "title": "Preventing the Introduction and Spread of Ebola in the United States: Frequently Asked Questions",
      "summary": "Throughout 2014, an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) has outpaced the efforts of health workers trying to contain it in three West African countries: Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. (These are often referred to as \u201caffected countries\u201d or \u201ccountries with widespread transmission.\u201d In mid-November, 2014, Ebola transmission also occurred for the second time in neighboring Mali. The extent of spread in Mali remains to be seen.) EVD cases have been imported to other countries, including the United States, where two nurses were infected while caring for a patient who had traveled from Liberia.\nMembers of Congress and the public have considered ways to prevent the entry and spread of EVD in the United States. Official recommendations have seemed to conflict at times. In part this reflects the evolution of our understanding of this new threat and the scientific and technical aspects of its control. In addition, under the nation\u2019s federalist governance structure, the federal and state governments are empowered to take measures to control communicable diseases, and have addressed some aspects of the Ebola threat in varied ways. In the United States and abroad, public concern about the spread of Ebola also may have shaped policymakers\u2019 decisions as well.\nThis CRS report answers common legal and policy questions about the potential introduction and spread of EVD in the United States. Questions and answers are presented in the following topical order:\nBarring travelers from Ebola-stricken countries from coming to the United States: Immigration law and policy provide options to prevent the entry into the United States of foreign nationals who could spread communicable diseases. U.S. citizens are generally afforded the right to repatriate. \nExit procedures upon departure from affected countries in Africa: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have aided affected countries in West Africa in screening departing travelers to minimize the exportation of EVD to other countries.\nU.S. laws and procedures involving airlines and other conveyances: Several laws address the role of commercial carriers in preventing or detecting the spread of communicable diseases on their planes or vessels. Implementation of these laws involves a balance of public health and commercial considerations. \nIdentification and screening of passengers arriving from Ebola-affected countries: The United States has routed most travelers originating from affected areas of West Africa to one of five U.S. airports, at which the travelers can be interviewed and examined to determine their risk of exposure to EVD, and referred for further monitoring.\nDomestic quarantine and isolation: legal authority and policies: Both the federal and state governments have authority to restrict the movement of persons who may pose a threat to others by transmitting disease. Public health officials at each level of government are involved in identifying and monitoring persons at risk of developing EVD, and developing protocols to assure that persons who develop symptoms are promptly isolated.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43809",
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43809",
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      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "African Affairs",
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "Health Policy",
    "Immigration Policy",
    "Transportation Policy"
  ]
}