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Ebola screenings start at JFK airport

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Kennedy International Airport will begin screening passengers for Ebola Saturday. 

The New York airport is the first of five United States airports that will be screening passengers for the virus.

Passengers with flights originating in countries in West Africa associated with the Ebola outbreak will be screened for symptoms.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, this will include travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Travelers will be escorted by customs agents to an area of the airport set aside for screening. Customs officers will examine the travelers for signs of illness, and trained medical staff will take their temperature with a non-contact thermometer.

If any travelers show signs of disease, they will be moved to a quarantined area, and further examined by a public health officer.

If further evaluation is needed after the CDC screening, they will be referred to the appropriate public health authority, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said earlier this week.

Four additional U.S. airports will begin the CDC Ebola screening programs next week:  Washington Dulles International, O'Hare International in Chicago, Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta and Newark Liberty International in New Jersey.