Tourists arriving in Thailand from Congo are quarantined for 21 days due to Ebola.

Thai authorities have taken steps to mandate a minimum 21-day quarantine period for all passengers arriving in Thailand from or transiting through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This quarantine rule applies even if no symptoms are shown, and it is one step in a strict Ebola prevention program introduced by a technical committee advising Thailand's Department of Disease Control (DDC).

According to Dr. Montien Kanasawadse, Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, the Ebola situation caused by the 'Bundibugyo' virus spreading in Congo and Uganda was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization on May 17th. Due to the lack of an officially approved vaccine or treatment for this viral strain and the worsening spread of the disease in Congo, several countries, including Thailand, have intensified the monitoring of passengers arriving from high-risk areas.

As of May 22nd, 10 passengers were reported to have arrived in Thailand from Ebola-risk areas. Eight of them came from Uganda and two from Congo. Although none of them showed symptoms during airport screenings, authorities subjected all of them to continuous health monitoring for a period of 21 days. Under this, it was made mandatory for these passengers to report their health status daily.

Dr. Montien also urged Thai nationals to avoid non-essential travel to areas with dangerous infectious diseases, such as Uganda and Congo. Should anyone returning from these countries develop a fever or other unusual symptoms, they should seek immediate medical attention, and it is crucial to accurately inform doctors about their travel history.

Proposals to isolate symptomatic passengers for a period of 21 days in designated medical centers and to subject even asymptomatic passengers to strict monitoring have already been submitted to the technical committee under the Infectious Diseases Act. To ensure these disease prevention measures are implemented more effectively in accordance with international standards, the Thai Department of Disease Control is scheduled to hold discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the future.