The Italian Ministry of Health has activated Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic surveillance measures for staff of governmental and non-governmental organisations.
The health surveillance procedure applies to personnel returning to Italy from all territories in Uganda. The following measures are envisaged:
- Before leaving the country affected by the Ebola virus disease
As soon as they are aware of the flight plan of the operator entering Italy, they shall notify by email the former Directorate General for Health Prevention (DGPREV) of the Ministry of Health reporting (for each operator, in case of more than one operator entering Italy)
– Data concerning the traveller returning to Italy
– Itinerary of the journey and details of the flight entering Italy (flight number and arrival dates)
At the same time and no later than 48 hours prior to entry into Italy, they must also send
– Declaration ( ita – eng ), signed by the legal representative of the NGO/project manager and, where possible, by the organisation’s doctor.
– Copy of the health insurance of the traveller returning to Italy
All the above documents should be sent at the same time to the following email addresses:
coordinamento.usmafsasn@sanita.it;
coordinamento.contactracing@sanita.it
- During the journey
The traveller is required to print out and carry with him/her, keeping a copy of the anamnestic form , duly filled out with his/her personal data and other information not subject to change during the trip, taking care to update it with any body temperature values taken by the Health Authorities during disembarkation/embarkation.
If, during the flight, the passenger entering Italy from a country affected by the Ebola virus (as well as any passenger or crew member who has stayed in one of the aforementioned countries in the last 21 days) presents one or more symptoms, the passenger shall immediately report the circumstance to the flight personnel, and the aircraft may only land at the Fiumicino or Malpensa Sanitary Airports, where the foreseen procedures will be implemented.
- On arrival in Italy
In the event of the onset of symptoms during the flight, the aircraft must only land at the Fiumicino or Malpensa sanitary airports, where the procedures foreseen for such cases by the respective orders issued by the competent USMAF-SASN will be implemented.
In case of absence of symptoms during the flight, upon arrival of the aircraft
– all passengers must remain seated and fill out the PLC that will be collected by the USMAF SASN personnel;
– the operator, or the signalled passenger, must go to the front exit door;
– USMAF-SASN medical personnel board the aircraft;
– no one gets on and no one gets off the aircraft; routine activities are suspended in the passenger cabin, hold, sub-board and spoils on board with the exception of the aircraft power cable and cockpit ground communications; other activities are authorised by the USMAF-SASN doctor
– the USMAF doctor on board measures the body temperature and completes the anamnestic form brought by the passenger (otherwise he/she completes it from scratch), based on the result of the control
– if the result of the check is NEGATIVE (no fever and negative medical history form) → all passengers can disembark and routine activities are activated (passenger cabin, hold, under board and spoils on board);
– if the check is POSITIVE (presence of fever) → the procedure foreseen in the Order that may be issued by the competent USMAF is activated.
It is specified that for travellers coming from areas at risk who have not reported any type of exposure in the previous 21 days, or for whom it is not possible to establish whether or not exposure has occurred, it is recommended, as a precautionary measure, to activate the same surveillance as for low-risk contacts in any case (the level of risk must be assessed on the basis of the indications given in the Ministry of Health circular no. 26116 of 4 September 2019).
These indications may be subject to change depending on the epidemiological evolution of the event.